Kingdom Hearts Alternate 2
by Chatting Airborne
Summary: True sequel to Kingdom Hearts Alternate. After Xion was found and Naminé inherited DiZ's fortune, Aerith and Zack got engaged. The confessions of that garden party filled Axel's world with hope. Now, decade old conflicts have returned with the discovery that Roxas has a twin. Who exactly is this boy? Who has scuttled from far within the recesses of his memory to meet him again?
1. Epilogue of Kingdom Hearts Alternate

***This is the second lineup of a two part story. The first part is Kingdom Hearts Alternate, and if you'd like to read it, continue here first!**

** s/7156538/1/Kingdom-Hearts-Alternate**

**If not, enjoy KH Alternate II!**

**A year and a half later**

Hojo's footsteps echoed as he hurried down a basement hallway of Shinra Electric. His breathing was ragged. Under his arm he held a small folder filled with data on the Bureau of Investigation, and a flashlight. Towards the end of the hall was an old room marked for experimentation, in disuse and forgotten, and Hojo unlocked its door and ran through its depths, ignoring the shadows that moved across the wall with him as he clicked on the small flashlight and held it out in front of him. Rows of tables and machines stretched in front of him, but he did not see anyone there. At the end of the hall was an exit door marked 'meeting room', and he stopped and took a deep breath before sauntering in. The unusual coldness of the room made Hojo shrink back; his palms dripped and his hands shook. "S-sir?" he croaked, looking around the dark room while trying to make out a shape.

"Hello Hojo." Came a voice from behind him, and he whirled around, lifting his hand in the air to strike. A figure caught his arm and put it down with immense strength. Then, the man chuckled and forced Hojo back into the room, turning on the light. Hojo nearly tripped as he reached behind him for the meeting table. "I do not recognize you. Are you...?" He began, sitting down at the table, but the figure nodded, stepping out from the shadows to sit across from Hojo. His narrowed yellow eyes shone from inside his head like a large snake's. "I despise unnecessary loudness," the man hissed, tapping his cane on the ground. "I apologize," Hojo replied, "but I have never seen you in person before. In all of our previous transactionsI have only had contact with your, um…"

"My ambassador."

"Yes. May I ask where he is?" Hojo asked, glancing around the room, half expecting the man in question to jump out of the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, a shadow stirred and stretched, and he whirled around to see the silhouette inching towards him. The figure was in black, with deep red stripes down his arms and legs and a black helmet covering his face and head. As he entered the light of the room he winced and shivered. The yellow eyed man chuckled as the figure moved closer, trapping Hojo between the two of them. "Does, does he want to…?" Hojo trailed off, pointing to the standing black figure. The man at the head of the table shook his head. "He will stand. Now, Hojo, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?" The man looked straight into Hojo's eyes. Hojo glanced away and breathed fast.

"The Investigation Bureau is onto us." Hojo snapped, and his breathing quickened once more. "Again?" the mysterious man chuckled. Hojo shook his head quickly, breathing harder. "It's different this time. They're building a case on me_. _They've caught onto the experiments and the intimidation. It's only a matter of time before they hear about..." Hojo gulped, glancing at his companions every few seconds. The yellow-eyed man rubbed his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "That is a problem," he murmured, looking up. "What do you want from me Hojo? Tell me quickly."

Hojo sighed in relief, but the held his breath, as the last bit of air was about to escape his lungs. Then he spoke again. "I need your help," he whispered. "I want you to get them off my tracks, and if I do happen to go to court I want you to defend me- if you do, I'll pay you back a million times over. All I ask is your support."

The old man looked up at the ceiling before his eyes settled on the black figure. "Who is in charge of the investigation?" He gnarled, formulating a plan in his mind. "The former Turk," Hojo whispered, and the man's gaze was directed back to him. "How did he leave the organization? I thought Shinra's exiting transportation of choice was body bag."

Hojo looked uncomfortable, and eyed the exit door before forcing his eyes back to the man in front of him. He shrugged. "I suppose it was a slip in security." He croaked, and the man beside him pursed his lips. "So this investigation has plumed from a 'slip in security'? The past returns to haunt, Hojo, if you allow it. And you will allow it."

A whimper escaped Hojo's throat as he thought of the enemies waiting for him in jail. "What do you mean I am 'going to allow it'?" Hojo snarled, looking at the ground. "I can't do anything about it!"

The man chortled in response. "You are not in the capacity to find the means to do something about it, Hojo. You never have been, and you never will. With my experience your ingenuous idiocy does not surprise me."

Hojo's shoulders fell, and he looked down at his hands in agitation.

"But I will do something about it."

Hojo looked up in amazement and saw that the man was smiling. Hojo gave himself a minute to process the information, and then stood up, bowing deeply. The man stared at him as he did so, tapping his cane.

"Thank you very, very much, sir. I am forever indebted to you." Hojo blubbered, chuckling and shaking at the same time. The man narrowed his eyes. "There's no taking that back," he sneered, and the scientist pursed his lips. Hojo pointed to the door and the figure stepped closer to him, who put his hand up. "I can show you out," Hojo elaborated but the man shook his head. "We have means." Hojo gulped and nodded, hesitating before placing the files on the table and hurrying to the door. He was stopped by the older man's cough.

"Hojo?" The man asked, and Hojo turned to look at him again. The black figure had moved beside the man, who was still sitting.

"Yes?"

"Your son."

Hojo looked back in confusion. "Yes, what about my son?"

"How is he?"

"How is Sephiroth?" Hojo whispered. The man nodded.

"He's in jail for involvement in a building scandal, rape charges, and his involvement with Shinra Electric," Hojo explained. "I have not spoken to him since he lived under my roof a few years ago."

"How long will he be in jail?"

"A very long time, sir."

The corners of the man's mouth turned up, but he did not smile. "Pity." He murmured.

And Hojo left, climbing the stairs back into the inhabited portion of Shinra. He entered the lobby and the lobbyist smiled at him. "Hello, doctor," she called and Hojo nodded, uncaring. "Rufus wants to talk to you." Hojo nodded again, gripping the flashlight in his hand. He had not meant to bring it up with him.

"What's with the flashlight?" the receptionist asked, and Hojo stopped, chuckling. "Oh, mice," he mumbled, and left.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue Book 2:**

The Gongaga Correctional Institution peered over a cliff towards the village beneath, keeping firm watch. It was well fortified and built recently, locked within itself and closed off from the visiting world. Its parking lot was not even near it; instead it laid a mile's walk down a winding country road, stymieing visits from outsiders. The cliff the institution hung over was too small to accommodate a parking lot. It rained an inordinate amount in Gongaga, and true to form it was raining again. A sleek black car hummed towards the small village, its chauffer glancing outside at the passing civilians as he drove. The vehicle pulled up to a fork in the paved road and the chauffer pulled out a map from the glove compartment, pushing his red-rimmed glasses down his nose to scan its pages.

"What is it?" growled the man beside him, and the chauffer looked up, his gold eyes glancing in the rearview mirror. The passenger wiped the condensation off of his window and peered out into the cold fog. There wasn't a person to be seen past the fork and the heavy cold fog hovering to five feet above the ground hid everything in sight. "Get out and see where we are." The passenger murmured, and the chauffer pursed his lips and got out of the car. The rain slammed against his tall frame as he scanned their location. The chauffer decided upon the left side of the fork in the road, and after a few moments he got back into the car, shaking the water from his clothes. "Don't ruin that seat," the man in the back growled as the chauffer started up the car. Then, he took the left path that lead up the hill. They finally reached the village, and the man in the backseat chuckled, peering out at the houses disappearing behind them, shaking his head. "A hero was born within these sad confines," he murmured.

The chauffer stopped the car, noticing a man in a large poncho strolling towards them, signaling for them to open the window. When they did, the man with the poncho stuck his head inside and smiled. "Are you here for inmate number 32?" He sang, and the chauffer nodded. The man smiled again and shook the chauffer's hand with vigor. "I wish I could shake your passenger's hand, but he'll just have to settle for a second hand handshake, if you don't mind me saying so." Then, the man let out a high-pitched guffaw. There was silence inside the car and the man's smile faded. He scratched his head and elaborated, "I'd just like to inform you that the parking lot for the correctional facility is gonna be to your immediate left. The facility is a ten minute walk up that hill." He added, pointing to the cliff that loomed up in front of them. The passenger cursed in the back seat and the chauffer rolled up the window and drove to the parking lot, taking the closest space to the entrance. Then, he ran around to the trunk, removed an umbrella from it, and froze outside the passenger door, the umbrella held in front of him.

The passenger set one foot out of the car, and then his cane tapped the ground in front of him. Gripping its clawed end tightly, he hoisted himself out of the car and his chauffer shut the door behind him, keeping the umbrella above his master. Both walked to the facility in silence, and the chauffer opened the front double doors to the building for the older man before closing the umbrella, shaking himself out, and walking inside. The lobby was spacious but glum, as was its receptionists and the occasional officer that strolled through it.

The older man scanned his surroundings before turning to the front desk. Two secretaries sat sorting files. When the older man tapped his cane on the ground one of them glanced up and then stood, pushing her files to the side. "May I help you sir?" She asked, and the older man nodded. "I requested a meeting with inmate 32." The other woman's head snapped up and she nodded. "Inmate 32 visitor is here," she stated across the intercom. Then the receptionist standing looked back at him. "Please follow me." The woman led the two men out of the lobby and down a long hallway to the right. The chauffer took off his sunglasses as they walked, and met eyes with the reception lady as he looked up. He smiled, and the woman looked forward, leading the two of them into a small meeting room at the end of the hall, opening the door for them. "He'll be with you in a moment." She said. "Call if you need anything." She added, and walked out of the room. The older man sat down, and though there was three chairs set out around the table, the chauffer stood. The older man rubbed the back of his baldhead in thought.

"Get to know her." He finally said, and the chauffer returned his sunglasses to his face before the old man snapped his fingers at him with a glare. The young man nodded and took them off, staring out from under his lashes with yellow crystalline eyes. Then he turned to the door. "Exercise caution," The seated man added as the younger man began to file out of the room, "This is a test." The chauffer turned to him as he said this and nodded, his mouth twitching up into a slight grin. Then, he left the room.

The receptionist returned with inmate 32 and two armed guards, spying the chauffer leaned on the wall outside of the room, and sent the inmate in. The armed guards glared at the chauffer, who scuttled to the side as they took their places in front of the door. "Is there something you need?" the receptionist snapped, and the chauffer grinned.

"Yes, actually," He murmured. "I was wondering about your accent, are you from here?" The woman looked away, folding her arms over her chest. "I sure am. I've lived here ever since I was born, and wanted to leave ever since I was born," She added, glancing at the man. His piercing yellow eyes glowed from his tan skin. "It's a beautiful accent." He murmured. The woman snorted. "Maybe you can ponder it in the waiting room, you weren't scheduled to be here," she snapped, falling silent. Then she added, "You think so?" shuffling her feet. The chauffer nodded. "I know a lot of accents, but yours is new to me. It's nice," He added, looking down. The woman laughed, signaling for him to follow her to the lobby. "You sure you don't want to say something corny like "It's a new piece of music, or "what a treat to the ears?'"

"I'm not good at corny," the chauffer muttered. The woman laughed again, throwing her shoulders back. "Best news I've heard all day," she chuckled. "Why are you visiting this guy?"

The chauffer shrugged. "My boss knows him. He made me walk all the way here without an umbrella."

"Are you cold?" the woman asked. The chauffer nodded. "Freezing."

"I'll get you some coffee," she said. The man chuckled. "Maybe you can tell me about your hometown. Especially its geography, I had trouble getting up here," He said with a wide smile, and the woman laughed again, beckoning for him to follow her. "Come here. I'll teach you all about our geography."

Inside the meeting room, the old man gripped his cane and looked towards his guest, inmate 32. The prisoner's long unkempt hair hung down in his face, hid behind a matted beard. His eyes were held down and his hands were in deep fists.

"Hello Sephiroth." The old man began, and Sephiroth looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Why are you here?" he spat, and the man chuckled. "Already losing that lovely disposition of yours I see," he sighed, rubbing his head. "I heard wonderful reports about how well behaved you were."

"I asked why you came to visit me," Sephiroth seethed, leaning towards his visitor. The older man grinned and sat back in his seat, impressed by his guest's vehemence. "I came to observe your improvement," the man explained. "Obviously you crave freedom," he added, chuckling. "In speaking with Hojo I was interested if not surprised to see that he has failed to help you in your jail sentence. One would think that in such matters a father-"

A sudden switch went off in Sephiroth's head, and he grabbed the man in front of him by his shirtfront and shook him, roaring, "HE IS NOT MY FATHER! HE IS NOT MY FATHER-!"

In the blink of an eye, the bald man reached forward with his cane and clocked Sephiroth in the middle of the forehead, sending him reeling back in his seat. Then, in a flurry of movement, Sephiroth's arms were pulled behind his back and his head shoved onto the table in front of him. Sephiroth winced as the clawed cane made a sharp thudding noise on the table beside him, and when he opened his eyes again, the glinting gold bottom was mere centimeters away from his nose. The older man shoved Sephiroth off of the table and into the adjacent wall with surprising power before sitting back down and setting his cane between his legs, tapping it on the ground and placing his hands atop it. The two men stared at each other, one glaring, and the other looking expectant as Sephiroth panted. In final decision Sephiroth reseated himself. The man chuckled.

"Targeting an old man for your petty grievances. Shameful behavior, even for a dog such as you."

"Who are you to question my morality?" Sephiroth sneered.

"That is not my point," The bald man replied, and Sephiroth sat back in his seat. "You say you will help me?" he asked. The bald man nodded.

"And what's so special about me?"

The man leaned in and smiled at Sephiroth. "You have immense power. I need you."

Sephiroth thought for a moment. "What do I get out of this?" he murmured. "Is there something you desire?" the man asked, and Sephiroth nodded, responding, "Tell me what I have to do," with eagerness, folding his arms over his chest.

"I want you to get the Investigation Bureau off of our hands," the old man responded. "You know more about Shinra Electric than I do, maybe even more than Hojo does with all your research. I know about Ansem, the man who sent _you_ to jail posthumously. I cannot carry out my intentions without a capable talent."

Sephiroth gritted his teeth. "You mean lapdog?" he snickered, but the man shook his head.

"I ask that you make a solid choice. In the end, if you see fit, you do not have to do anything except provide me with information. I simply assumed that you were not as useless as your father," the man gripped his cane and prepared to stand up; nodding goodbye, but Sephiroth stayed him with narrowed eyes. "I'll do it," he muttered with clenched fists. The man leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Good," he chuckled. When he opened them again, his eyes shone. "And your payment?" he asked. Sephiroth furrowed his brows in thought, before looking up with wide eyes.

"I loved a girl named Aerith. Aerith Gainsborough," he muttered. "She was a flower girl. She said she loved me and then the bitch ran off on me when I wasn't the hero anymore."

"Two years and you still harbor ill will towards a woman that you raped?" the bald man asked, "A woman that you claimed wronged you over 8 years ago?"

"I didn't finish." Sephiroth growled, and the man stared at him. "Well, go ahead and finish, boy. No one is stopping you."

"I want Zack Fair to rot in jail."

The old man stared at him, asking, "Is that all?" Sephiroth shrugged, and the man rubbed his eyes and sighed. "And I suppose that this plan will become more sophisticated as you think about it?"

Sephiroth sat back, excited. "When do we get started?"

"When you tell me everything you know about Zach Fair," the old man growled in return, "Anything he did in the past to make him eligible for imprisonment. It is impossible to create a life sentence from nothing."

"You could kill the bitch," Sephiroth drawled, and the man looked at him with raised eyebrows. Sephiroth chuckled. "I'm joking."

The man nodded and stood up, holding his hand out for Sephiroth to shake. "We will think of something."

The two security personnel filed inside to take Sephiroth back to his cell as the bald man walked down the hall and out into the reception area. His chauffer was talking with the reception lady. The older man's cane clicked on the ground and the chauffer's attention was taken. He smiled at the reception lady, said goodbye, and followed the old man out of the institution and into the rain, putting his sunglasses back on. As he opened the umbrella and put it over his master's head, the older man grasped his cane tightly in his hand, pulling his coat about him. "Get all the information you can on Zack Fair," the man muttered. "And weasel everything you can out of the receptionist."

The rain beat down harder. By the time the two men got to their vehicle the chauffer was soaked to the skin, but his master was as dry as before he stepped out of the car.


	3. A New Brother

**Two Weeks Later**

Roxas walked alongside Axel, licking a sea salt ice cream. Every few minutes the boy would steal a glance at the man, who looked tired. It had been two years since Axel's dad died and since he'd moved into his family's old house in Disney Town. Things should have been easier now that Axel wasn't paying rent anymore, but having a kid around was taking its toll. Axel rubbed his eyes and smiled at Roxas.

"You okay?" Roxas asked, and Axel shrugged.

"Yeah, just tired," He mumbled, peering out on the sunset overtaking Twilight Town. Roxas smiled, but Xigbar's wedding flashed through his mind. The horrible discomfort of lying naked with his legs apart, right in front of Axel. The vulnerability. Roxas shivered, and Axel looked at him with curiosity. "Something wrong?" Axel asked, but Roxas shook his head. "No, I just got the chills. I don't know why."

Axel chuckled, and suddenly put his arm around Roxas' shoulder. Though it had been two years since the incident, Roxas' heart still gave a jump when Axel surprised him. When Axel had picked up the courage to touch Roxas again a year ago, Roxas would pull away without realizing it. Over time it dissipated to a jerk of the shoulder, and then a jump in his heartbeat. Roxas hoped that things would return to the way they were so that he could forget, because it was embarrassing to remember and uncomfortable to think about. Sometimes he wondered if he would have enjoyed it had Axel continued. Would it have turned out to be a better thing to do than trying to leave things the way they were?

Roxas scratched the back of his head, sighing. He shouldn't have made the promise to Axel. In a weird way he felt guilty for not going through with the whole thing. It had made Axel more cautious and nervous around Roxas- as if he was handling glass. Roxas' eyes trailed up to meet Axel's, and Roxas realized that Axel had been watching him think. Axel glanced away, blushing. Then he cleared his throat and smiled broad. "Well!" he sang, sucking in a breath of fresh air. "Great day this is! Actually, I've been meaning to ask you, what are you gonna do now that summer is coming around? You got any colleges in mind yet?" He added, and Roxas shrugged.

"Yeah, I got a lot of acceptance letters, I just gotta sort out scholarships. I have to decide by the end of the week. Naminé keeps telling me that if I need any financial help, she's 'always there'. She loves giving away her money. But she does anything for Xion," Roxas added, grinning. Then his smile faded. "I think Xion was the first one to truly care for Namine. It makes me feel guilty sometimes. I should've looked after her better. I should've looked after both of them better."

Axel shrugged. "You were a kid, you couldn't have done much. I was the adult; I should've helped her. But I was too selfish to see past my own nose," Axel sighed, grinning at Roxas. Roxas chuckled. "You, selfish? Axel, where'd you get that idea?"

Axel suddenly wrapped his arm around Roxas' neck and gave Roxas a noogie. Roxas yelped in pain, and Axel burst into laughter before charging off and letting Roxas chase after him.

"You asshole!" Roxas roared as he leapt after Axel, who occasionally glanced behind his shoulder to see if Roxas was catching up. Roxas had always been faster than Axel, though, and he eventually ran up beside the man and tackled him to the ground. The friends rolled around, laughing hard as they rough housed with one another, squirming and kicking. As they lost their breath and began to quiet down their laughs died to a chuckle. They breathed hard, looking straight into each other's eyes, and then Roxas looked down at Axel's body. He noticed that he was sitting on Axel's stomach, just a few centimeters away from Axel's crotch.

They both scrambled up and darted away from each other. Axel folded his arms over his chest. Roxas grinned in discomfort. "Hey, that was the first time in ages that we've done that," He tried in a mumble. Axel looked up at him with an unintelligible expression, and then he beamed. "Heh. I was paying so much attention to you running after me that I didn't even notice where we were going. We're a block off your street," He exclaimed, and then he grinned. "And look who we've run into."

Roxas turned around to see what Axel was indicating, and his face lit up with excitement. Xion and Namine meandered down the road towards them, oblivious of their presence. Roxas looked around for a hiding place, darting behind a trashcan nearby, and Axel frowned at him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, but Roxas shushed him. "I want to surprise Xion. Shut up and don't tell her I'm here." Axel put his hands into his pockets. "Well, it's pretty obvious, what with me talking to a trash can and all."

"Then shut up."

Axel shrugged and glanced back over at Xion and Namine. Both were beautiful and charming, per usual. They had acquired newfound confidence, and Axel found himself attracted to them. He grinned as they noticed him, and they waved at him and sped up towards him. When they reached his side Xion gave Axel a sudden hug and kissed him on the cheek. Then she grinned back at him. "How's my hero?" she beamed, her hands still around Axel's waist. Axel looked away, his grin fading to worry. "Don't call me that," He mumbled, lowering his head. Xion loosened her hold around his waist and let her arms fall by her sides. Then she put her hands on her hips and looked around.

"Where's Roxas?" she mumbled. "You two are usually always together. You make a poor girl like me jealous." Axel nodded, trying to ignore the ache this brought up in his heart. Namine looked up at him as if examining him, then back to Xion. "Perhaps Axel's waiting for him too." Xion pursed her lips. "I don't know, I think he's around here somewhere." She went right up to the trash can, but stopped in front of it and turned around, squinting off into the distance. Roxas sneaked out from behind and leapt on Xion just as she turned back, inadvertently kissing her on the lips. The two lingered, and Axel chuckled, shaking his head as Namine looked away with pink cheeks. Xion pulled away from Roxas, who snapped up and turned them back to everyone else.

"Sorry, Xion, I just meant to kiss you on the neck, but then you turned around," He chuckled, grinning. Xion shrugged. "I don't mind," She murmured, turning to Axel and Naminé again. Axel sighed. "What a gross couple," He shouted. Roxas punched him on the arm, and then slid his arm around Xion's waist as they began to walk towards Roxas' street. Axel looked up after Roxas in confusion. "Wait, I thought we were gonna go to the clock tower!" Axel barked, eyeing Xion. Roxas put his hand on his forehead and inhaled. "Oh, gee, Axel. I forgot to tell you that my parents wanted me home early today."

Axel looked closely at Roxas, and his eyebrows rose. "Why do they want you home?"

Roxas shrugged, scratching his head again. "They wanted to tell me something. My mom sounded really weird on the phone. Maybe I should be worried." Roxas' eyebrows began to knit together, and Axel rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to protest.

"Don't you dare start to worry yourself, Roxas, everything's fine," Xion interjected, poking Roxas on the nose. Roxas laughed and his shoulders loosened. Axel let out the breath he had been about to use to say the same thing. Xion seemed to say it better than Axel would have. Axel caught his lower lip moving out into a pout, so he pursed his lips and began to hum. Roxas disappeared down the street with Xion, and Axel turned to Naminé. "So, do you need someone to walk you home?" He grinned.

Namine nodded in return. "That would be nice."

The two walked in silence for the first five minutes, as Axel tried to watch Namine out of the corner of his eye. She seemed much happier than she had been two years ago. She walked straighter and taller. "Do you want to go up to the clock tower with me?" Axel asked abruptly, but Namine sighed. Then, she shook her head. "I'm going on a date with Leon. I would have loved to, Axel."

Axel furrowed his eyebrows in distaste. "Since when did that happen?"

Naminé shrugged and blushed. "Well I first met him when he took me to the hotel, and then at Aerith's party two years ago we talked a little bit, and ever since it's been inching towards a date..."

"Ever since Aerith announced her engagement?" Axel chuckled without thinking. Naminé's shoulders fell. "I- I'm not his second choice, if that's what you're implying," Naminé whispered, but Axel pulled her into a quick hug, surprising her and rubbing her shoulders. "I didn't mean that," he lied, smiling. "It's great that you're going out with him." Axel didn't get along well with Leon. To put it kindly, they were too different. "Do you really like him?" Axel murmured. Naminé hesitated. "He makes me feel safe. He gives me the space I need to become independent, too, which is good for me," She added, laughing.

"That's good." Axel responded dully, and turned onto the dirt road that led to Namine's mansion. "Well, here we are," He drawled, stopping and looking down at Naminé. "Would you like me to walk you to the door, madam?" Naminé beamed as he held out his arm for her. "Yes, good knight," She chirped, and Axel lead her through the forest, to her front gate, and up to her front door arm in arm. Axel bowed and Namine curtsied, and she said goodbye, waving to him as she closed her front door behind her. Axel sighed, looking after her a bit before he began to walk away, snickering in irritation. He tried to think of what he had to do that night, stretching his shoulders over his head. Then he put his hand in his pocket, drawing out his phone. "Let's see if I have any messages."

Axel paused to look through them and sighed in deep irritation when he noticed he had over ten new messages, all from Selphie.

'_Hey, sexy tiger. Can I come have a sleep over with you tonight? XOXO. Ur sex kitten wants you. –Selph __'_

Axel decided to opt out on reading the rest. He shook his head and closed his phone. Selphie was all right to mess around with but in any other scenario she was stifling. She couldn't understand Axel's predicament with Lea, who seemed to pop in at the worst moments. If they all had it their way Axel would just let Lea live with Isa. But Isa's parents were already suspicious of Axel after his involvement with Saix going to jail, and Axel wasn't comfortable having sex with a girl a few years older than Lea with him on the other side of the wall. The idea made Axel cringe. He decided to chance listening to his voicemails. The first one was from Selphie.

"_Alright, baby. I just wanted to ask you if I could come over to your place tonight. But you're not answering your texts, so I figured I'd just call you instead, but you're not answering your phone either. So, I'm feeling really lonely right now and I noticed that we haven't had sex in like, five days. Okay maybe three days, but I'm just getting worried that you're growing distant. I wanna make it up to you, so I'm gonna bring a few surprises with me tonight. I'm gonna come over, and if you're not there, I'll officially be worried. But, if you are there, we can make up properly, okay? Love ya to bits! Bye! Kisses! Selph"_

Axel groaned and rubbed his eyes. The second message was from Lea.

"_Hey, ugly, I'm staying over at Isa's tonight so have fun with Selphie."_

Axel narrowed his eyes and pressed the end call button on his phone, slipping his phone into his pocket with vehemence. "Bratty little piece of shit," He muttered to himself as he walked over to the train station. He and Lea, even after two years of trying to understand each other, had come to the conclusion that they could not understand one another. The less social contact the better.

Axel closed his eyes and hummed as he rode the train to Disney City, but the at next stop a pregnant woman got on. Axel tapped his fingers, felt guilty, and offered his seat to her with a mumble. She sighed and said thank you, sitting down and getting comfortable. Axel couldn't help but stare at her. She rubbed her stomach and sighed, meeting eyes with Axel. He blushed and nodded. "How far along?" he

asked. "Seven months," she replied, beaming. Axel smiled uncomfortably and tried to make himself appear preoccupied with the sunset out the window. It painted the sky in hues of purple, orange, and pink, with a faint yellow glow where the eye of the sun shone across the horizon. The clock tower disappeared, a vanishing silhouette, and shadows began to creep over the land. The pregnant woman got off a few stops before his and Axel sighed in relief, taking her seat. He fidgeted as he sat in it, thinking about the father. Suddenly eighteen years was a whole lifetime stretched out before him.

He scratched the back of his head as the conductor called his stop, and he looked at the ground beneath him as he hopped off the train. Then he made his way home, trying not to think. To his surprise and dismay Selphie was waiting at the door for him. He let out a deep breath through his nostrils and rolled his eyes. "Selphie, I don't want you waiting for me on my doorstep anymore. I got your message."

"Then why didn't you call me back?" She snapped, and then sighed, trying to smile. "I just wanted to see you. Is it so wrong for a gal to want to see her boyfriend?" She gushed, throwing herself around Axel. She began to nibble at his ear and rub her thighs against his as he reached for his door key. "Fuck, Selphie. At least wait till I get in the front door," He mumbled in agitation, and Selphie giggled.

"I can't help it Axel, I want you so bad I can't stand it," Then she leaned in closer to him. "Let's skip dinner and go to bed, okay?" She drawled, and Axel shrugged, opening the door. He had barely got it closed behind him when Selphie began to empty the bag in her arms. It had an assortment of sex toys in it, and Axel whipped his head around and gaped, habitually checking the stairs for Lea and the kitchen for his dad. "Selphie, where the hell did you get this stuff?" Axel barked, charging over and grabbing the toys from Selphie. She pouted and folded her arms over her chest as Axel shoved everything back into the bag in discomfort. "Ever since you moved into this new house, you never do anything fun with me anymore!" She whined. Axel breathed out in exasperation. "That was because then, I was living in a little apartment by myself. Now, I'm living in my parent's house with a kid."

Selphie looked away from him. "I don't see any of them around." She murmured, and then began to tear up. "I just wanted to make it up to you; I thought you'd like this stuff." She wiped at her eyes, and Axel stifled a groan, going over to her and holding her head in his hands. "We can have sex, any way you want, how about that? Whatever way you want it, I'll have it," He murmured, looking into her eyes. She smiled, "Really?" Axel nodded. Then, he began to kiss her, letting her pull him closer to her. Selphie backed Axel over to the couch and threw him down on it, lowering herself over him and settling onto his lap. As she kissed him Axel's mind drifted to the pregnant woman and the dinner bills. Selphie began to kiss him harder. "Kiss me back Axel," She growled as she pressed her fingers into the crevices on either side of Axel's body, between Axel's hips and his lower stomach. He took a sharp breath in, and pulled her closer to himself, kissing her hard as their tongues began to touch.

As he parted his lips from her mouth he felt Selphie playing with the top of his pants, ever trailing her fingers back and forth over his stomach and then inside the top rim of his boxers. He could feel her fingers trailing right above his penis, brushing over his pubic hair, and he began heating up. Selphie giggled as Axel kissed her neck, trailing his tongue down to her collarbone. She sighed, and then suddenly grabbed his penis. Axel gave a startled yelp, and Selphie's mouth formed an 'o' shape. Then she laughed as Axel put his hands over his face, moving his fingers through his hair in agitation. "You're so girly now, Axel. It seems like I'm doing all the work."

That irritated Axel, and he frowned at Selphie, narrowing his eyes. "Maybe if you weren't so abrupt..." he started, but stopped. Then he smirked, grabbing her by the waist and reaching up under her shirt until he'd pushed her bra up under her armpits. Axel leaned in close to her ear, sighing into it on purpose, and then snickered, kissed it with gentle pecks. Then, he grabbed her by the hips and twisted her around so that she was lying on the couch and he was over her, his palms down by either side of her head. He took her shirt and bra off, and she took his shirt off of him. They began to kiss again, and Axel reached his hand under the leg line of Selphie's knickers. Selphie whimpered, nuzzling her head in the crook of Axel's neck. He draped her over his lap, pushing her skirt up to the top of her waist. As he began to kiss her collarbone again, he moved his fingers further between her legs and twirled them around. Selphie moaned and threw her arms around Axel's shoulders, letting her lips rest on his jaw line. Axel smiled. As he cooled down his mind flitted lazily from the bills to Roxas and the conversation they had had earlier. He would have liked to go to the clock tower with him.

He remembered he and Roxas running up through the clock tower, Roxas' laughing with pink cheeks. The echo of Xion's voice drifted down to them, but Roxas stopped at the top of the tower just inside the door and turned back to Axel, grinning.

As Axel moved his fingers faster and faster Selphie began to breath harder and lose touch with everything. Then, he closed his eyes when he felt her reach inside his pants, and stroke him gently, moving her fingers up and down slowly. "Not yet, Selphie," her murmured, and squeezed her palm with his free hand, resting it on her stomach. Selphie dismissed it, going higher until her back arched spastically and fell again. There was silence, a check in moment, and Selphie smiled in satisfaction. Then, Axel looked at her hopefully. "Do you mind…?" he breathed, and Selphie nodded.

As Axel moved into a kneeling position Selphie readjusted herself and stroked Axel's thighs as he closed his eyes and imagined Roxas' hands trailing over his hip bone and then down towards his groin. Selphie let her tongue rest on Axel's penis just as he heard the lock on the front door unclick, and Axel's eyes flew open as he was carried back. "Get off." He barked, and Selphie looked up at him in horror. "What'd I do?" She said, kissing the inside of Axel's thigh. "You know I'm the best!" She added and squeezed Axel's upper thigh just as Lea stormed in the front door.

"Sorry, Axel, I forgot my underwear, I hope I'm not interr…" Lea trailed off, and stared in horror at the scene in front of him. Axel stayed frozen in surprise as Selphie continued to hold Axel's right ass cheek, resting her head in-between his thighs. Then, everything happened at once.

"Oh, holy go-!" Lea barked, backing towards the door in shock. Axel leapt off the couch and tripped as Selphie tried to hold onto him. Sensing that she was not altogether attired, Selphie pulled her skirt back over her underwear and patted the creases out of it before sitting back down on the couch with her legs folded. Axel stood up from the floor, shouting for Lea to wait, but the boy shook his head in disgust. "No fucking way am I gonna wait to see your hairy ass! Get that thing away from me!" He added, throwing a book from his backpack at Axel's stomach as he raced for the stairs. Axel caught the book in his hand, and then threw it on the ground in a rage. "Fuck!" He bellowed, storming back over to the couch and putting his clothes back on. Selphie looked worried. "Does this mean…?"

"Selphie, not right now." Axel barked, then added "and put your damn shirt on!" Selphie obeyed with surprising speed, pulling her top down over her breasts with an expression of indignance. "Now stay here one minute," he added, and ran up the stairs two at a time, stopping in front of Lea's room. Inside he heard the sound of hurried packing. "Alright, Axel," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "It was completely normal, he's learned about it in school, this isn't a life altering experience-"

"What isn't a life altering experience?" Lea asked and Axel whipped around to stare at him. Lea stared somewhere above his brother's head, refusing to look at him. "I am going to Isa's."

"I thought you were doing that an hour ago," Axel snapped back.

"Well I was!" Lea returned, raising his voice to a dull roar. "Don't you ever forget stuff when you're having a sleep over?"

"Well when you send a text telling your brother to 'have a good time' with his girlfriend, do you not expect him to take you up on your offer?"

"I didn't necessarily mean make her suck your dick, you could have played fucking go fish or something!"

"Well next time we'll play a rousing game of go fucking fish, Lea, just for you," Axel said as he rolled his eyes. "Because only perverts have sex!"

"I never said that and I'm not immature about it," Lea roared in return, his face going red. "Have as much sex as you want, just try not to do it when I'm around."

"I didn't know you'd be around!" Axel said, slamming his fist on the wall. Lea slammed his fist on the door in return and screeched 'FUCK', before charging down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it behind him. As Lea moved down the street Axel descended the stairs and slumped over on the couch, resting his head in his hands and groaning loudly. Selphie patted him on the shoulder and leaned into his ear. "We can move this upstairs if you want." She said in a hopeful voice, but Axel ruffled his hair in his hands. "Selphie, this hasn't been such a good day for me, okay?" he tried. Selphie's lip moved up into a pout as she fought off tears, and she jumped off the couch. "Do you want to watch a movie instead?" Axel chanced, but Selphie shook her head. While Selphie packed her things Axel had a shower. He texted to see if Selphie got home safely then called her, and after he was sure she was all right he trudged downstairs to watch junk TV until 3 o'clock in the morning, with nothing but a blanket wrapped around him.

…..

Roxas waved back to Axel and Naminé and turned back to Xion, rubbing her back and leading her down the road towards his street. "I can't believe I forgot the clock tower," Roxas chuckled to himself and Xion half smiled. "Maybe you should have gone for a few minutes."

"My mom wanted me home!" Roxas responded, letting go of Xion and putting his hands in his pockets. His eyebrows knit up again and he frowned, making Xion laugh and pinch his cheek. "You're such a worrier, Roxas."

Roxas blushed and rolled his eyes, scratching the back of his head. They turned onto his street and he drew in a breath when he looked ahead. "What is it?" Xion asked and Roxas pointed towards the end of the road, where two large news vans stood, antennas and all, parked on the side of the road opposite his home. "The neighbors must be in trouble," Roxas mumbled. Xion gaped. "Was that the pyrotechnics kid?"

Roxas furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought that was the street down," he mumbled, scratching his head again. Xion shrugged. Then she grabbed the arm of his shirt and tugged on it, pointing forward with a gasp. "Roxas, the reporters are going into your place."

Roxas' head snapped up and he picked up his walking to a light jog, with Xion following close behind. As soon as he was within view, a few reporters snapped at each other and hurried towards him, smiling in excitement. "Roxas, what do you think of this new development in your small family?"

Roxas ignored them, his eyes widening in terror as he rushed into his front yard and climbed the front steps to his door, opening it and poking his head inside before entering. Xion clung to his arm and looked around after him, intrigued but hesitant. There was a commotion in the living room, with his mother's high-pitched voice ruling, and an unfamiliar man's voice droning about paper work. When Roxas peeped into from the hallways and gasped.

There was a whole news crew huddled in his living room, with cameras and filming equipment all set up and centered on his mother. His father was sitting beside his wife, staring off into the distance. Then, Roxas noticed another person sitting on the other side of his mother. He had Roxas' sandy blond hair, which curled from his head the same direction as Roxas'. Roxas squeezed Xion's waist and she rubbed his shoulders, looking at the same boy that he was. Roxas shook his head. Then the boy turned around to look at him, his deep blue eyes resting on Roxas', his mouth turning up into a grin.

In one deafening moment deep shock traveled down Roxas' spine and buckled his knees, making him sway as he began to faint. Xion gasped as he fell, catching him and barking for help while the news crew swiveled their cameras to get a good look at the proceedings. Their camera lenses reflected Roxas' face, and the boy blinked at himself, trying to gulp back what he feared was traveling up his throat. His mother noticed him too, and jumped up and hugged him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to come in when things were like this. We planned on telling you quietly, but then the news station came. We've already sorted out the legal stuff, but the news castors have asked us to re-enact what we said in the meeting" she explained. "Maybe you want to go up and clear your head? Xion, could you take him upstairs and make sure he's alright?"

Xion nodded and directed Roxas upstairs. A news station interviewer blocked his entryway to the stairs as the boy tottered back and forth in Xion's arms, holding out his microphone for questions. "Be patient with Roxas." Xion intoned, shielding Roxas from the man's inquiry. "This is strange for him and he needs to lie down." The newsman attempted following Xion up the stairs but Roxas' father stopped him, telling him to 'leave the boy alone' and let him rest. The newsman nodded with reluctance, instead asking Roxas' mother about the mysterious and beautiful young lady who had accompanied the boy up the stairs. Xion chuckled as she opened the door to Roxas' bedroom, shaking her head as she sat him down on his covers. "There you go." She sighed, kissing him on the cheek and patting his head. Roxas wrung his hands and rubbed his hair, whining, but as Xion bent closer to see what was wrong Roxas beckoned for her to come closer. He wrapped his arms around the back of her neck and pulled her to him, pushing himself to the back wall so that Xion could sit in front of him. She teetered and fell onto him as he kissed her, slowly pushing her down until he was above her. He put his hands on either side of her head and Xion looked up at them, noticing they were clenched into tight fists. Xion blew at his face and pinched him in the side, making him furrow his eyebrows and sigh.

When Roxas would not relax, she pushed him back and sat up on his bed, so that her back was against his headboard. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded, holding his face in her hands. "What happened to my gentleman?"

Roxas scowled and sat back beside Xion, folding his arms in front of him. "I'm fed up with that," he muttered. Then his face softened and he was pulled out of his trance. He draped his hand over Xion's shoulder and rubbed her arm, shaking his head. "I don't understand why I'm so upset. It's just creepy. When that boy turned around... it was like my reflection," he faltered at the end and looked off into space. Xion patted him on the cheek and kissed him, pinching him in the side again and smiling. "Come on, crybaby, we've been through worse." Roxas chuckled in return, then darkened, shaking his head. There was a lull as Roxas thought things over before he squeezed Xion's hand and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't go after you when we were in Organization Thirteen. That's my regret."

Xion snorted and rolled her eyes. "_That's _your regret? Roxas, you have a lot of regrets that aren't even yours to own. Stop blaming yourself," she added, dismissing the subject, but Roxas persevered, leaning in close to her. "Then whose fault was it?" He snapped, staring into Xion's eyes for an answer. Xion sighed and put her palm to her temple. "I don't think it was anyone's fault," she murmured. "It's just the way things happened. I don't want to blame. I don't want to hold onto the past like that." Roxas closed his eyes and Xion stroked his hair. "And you remember, Roxas. My troubles started long before I met you."

Roxas looked up at her with moistened eyes and smiled. As Xion wiped his eyes she leaned into him again and kissed him, patting the side of his face. "And my troubles are gone for good now that I'm with my best friend." Roxas beamed at this and pulled her closer to him again, but there was a knock on his door, and he pushed away, jumping off the bed and slipping his hands into his pockets. "Come in," Xion said for him, and his father walked into the room, uncomfortable.

"Um, son… I have something to tell you…" he grumbled, eyeing Xion. She began to stand up, but Roxas held her hand in his so she would not leave. Roxas' father looked back at his son with pleading eyes, appealing for help. Roxas let go of Xion's hand. She backed out of the room, waving. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she muttered, and Roxas nodded. "Bye Xion," He called after her as she left, and then he turned his attention to his father, who was twiddling his thumbs.

"S-son?" His father asked, and Roxas looked straight at him. The man sighed and began. "You remember being told you were a twin?" Roxas nodded, reaching into the farthest parts of his memory for it.

"The other twin was extremely weak when you were born. The doctors worried for him, so he was taken to urgent care. Your mother went home the next day to rest. Sometime that afternoon we got a call from the police telling us he was gone. I don't know the specifics or how she did it without anyone knowing, but one of the nurses took the baby. They investigated the disappearance but he was never found. He doesn't even have the same name that we gave him," Roxas' father added in a whisper.

"But, anyway," he continued, "a few weeks ago the nurse died and he was left orphaned. Then he found out about us and came here."

It was very quiet for a long while. Roxas could hear the clock in the hall ticking as he looked at his shoes. His father broke the silence with a cough, standing and saying, "When you are ready to come down I suspect the news station will have a few questions for you, so you'll probably have to talk to them."

Roxas nodded in reply and stood up, trudging towards his door. Both men made their way downstairs, Roxas trailing behind his father. "Here we are." The man muttered as they entered the living room. The newsmen pounced on Roxas the minute they saw him and shoved the microphone into his face. "Can you tell us how you feel about the addition of a new brother to the family- an identical twin, of all things?" They barked. Roxas shrugged, squinting from the huge umbrella light that was shining in his eyes. "I don't really know. I, I just don't know what to feel right now…"

The newscaster nodded, turning to the other boy. "Ventus, what are your thoughts on the situation?"

The boy identical to Roxas glanced up and smiled, putting his hands behind his head. "I'm in the same boat. But in a way I feel like it's harder for me, because I've been thrust into a whole new world, and I am telling myself that this is my new family." The boy shrugged, and Roxas looked at him in wonder. He was handsome and charming. Roxas felt intimidated by him. He had the strange feeling that this boy might be his new better half. They interviewed Roxas and Ventus together, and Roxas found himself mumbling most of his answers shyly, contrary to Ventus' open, flawless character. "Let's get a picture of you two hugging," The cameraman piped up, and Ventus moved closer to Roxas, grinning. Roxas put his hand on Ventus' shoulder and Ventus put his hand on Roxas' waist, letting it trail up Roxas' back until his hand rested on Roxas' shoulder. Roxas heard Ventus chuckle. "I'm used to holding a woman," the boy whispered, and Roxas frowned, wondering if Ventus meant his old mother, but the cameraman signaled for him to smile before he could think about it.

Roxas tried to smile, but he knew it looked false because he was not happy. He felt weird. He was sure that Ventus' smile was perfect. After the picture was taken Ventus took his hand off Roxas' shoulder and Roxas took his hand off Ventus', running his fingers through his hair and blushing. Ventus watched him do so, and Roxas met eyes with him, his eyebrows trailing up in surprise. Ventus continued to watch him, before looking him up and down and smirking. Then he walked to Roxas' mother. Roxas was shocked. He stole a glance around him to see if anyone else had noticed the boy's expression, but no one was paying attention, so Roxas folded his arms in front of him and stood around, waiting until he got bored. When his stomach grumbled he knew it was time for dinner. He took a glimpse of the clock, noticing that it was 8. The whole ordeal had felt like thirty minutes, but really, it had spanned 3 hours. He shook his head in disbelief, and lumbered into the kitchen, taking an egg from the kitchen and breaking it into a glass. Roxas hunted through the fridge for some bell peppers, onions, and celery, poking around in the hopes of finding some leftover chicken. He whisked the egg and chopped up the vegetables, enough for everyone. Then, he sautéed a small portion for himself and poured the whisked egg into a separate pan.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ventus wandering into the room and sitting down at the table. "Do you want some omelet?" Roxas asked, and Ventus nodded, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. He sighed, cocking his head back and peering at Roxas, who had begun another portion of food. Roxas made Ventus' before he started on his own. "Looks good, Roxas." Ventus said as Roxas brought him his eggs. He leaned towards the table and poked at them before cutting them with care and taking a bite, nodding with satisfaction. "Do you want some juice?" Roxas asked, pointing to the fridge, and Ventus nodded again. After Roxas got him a drink he seated himself across from the boy with his own food. Ventus watched him as Roxas jabbed his fork into his omelet, grinning. Then he pointed to the stove. Roxas looked back and slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Oh, shit, you're right. I totally forgot." He said, going back to the stove and turning the dials off. He chuckled as he moved back to his seat across from Ventus, settling into his food again. "With all this crazy stuff going on, it's hard trying to keep my brain in check, you know?" Roxas explained with a smile. Ventus nodded, only half listening. His eyes narrowed as he looked about the room, examining it intently. Roxas did not notice, but the silence irritated him so he rubbed his forehead, commanding his brain to think of something to say. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your mother," he tried, but hesitated, blurting out, "I'm sorry about the whole thing." Ventus forced a grin in response. "It's not your fault," he muttered, "You don't have to be sorry about anything."

Roxas shrugged and laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." Then he looked up and met Ventus' gaze. Their eyes lingered on each other and the corner of Ventus' mouth turned up, daring Roxas to keep looking. Roxas felt uncomfortable, and he glanced away, mumbling about the time. In the other room the news crew began to pack up and say goodbye, and soon the house was quiet again and Roxas' mother trudged into the kitchen. She set her hands on her hips and nudged Roxas in the arm. "Well, Roxas! You are a model son, taking care of yourself and leaving us on our own," She joked.

"At least I'm independent," Roxas muttered in return, looking at the clock again. It was 8:30. His mother laughed and Roxas pointed to the fridge. "I cut up some vegetables, and there's some chicken and eggs in the fridge if you want to have an omelet." Roxas' father walked in as this was said, and began on his own as Roxas' mother sat down beside Ventus. "So, how was your trip here?" she asked in excitement. Ventus smiled. "It was fine, it was a long way to come but I enjoyed it."

"Now where was it that you used to live again, darling?"

"I lived in the Land of Departure."

Roxas' mother sucked in a breath, nodding. "That is a ways away. Did you know that Nibelheim is actually closer to us than the Land of Departure is?"

Roxas' father looked back at his wife as he sat down at the table, taking a sip from his glass of water. "I don't know if it's quite that far." Roxas' mother nodded in reassurement. "I remember when Roxas was working and going to school over there. We thought that he was going to make a way for himself when he started moving rank so fast. At first you were just cleaning crew for the hotel, weren't you?"

Roxas sighed. "Mom, I worked in the offices in the Land That Never Was. I was an apprentice for the Company."

His mother nodded her head slowly. "Oh, right, right, right."

Ventus glanced over at Roxas. "That's funny that you were there the whole time. The two towns are pretty close."

Roxas nodded and Ventus grinned, scooting his seat closer to the table and setting his hands out in front of him. "I used to go to the old Academy there, before it got shut down. Did you know that Castle Oblivion was built from its remains? It's funny to pass by and see the resemblance… of course, now the hotel is shut down, too. I don't know if it's temporary or permanent, though."

"It's permanent." Roxas chuckled, with a bitter tone of voice. Roxas' father was fascinated.

"Wait, the old Land of Departure Academy? Under Master Eraqus?" then he chuckled in excitement, rubbing his forehead to facilitate his memory. "I remember in my day- that was the place to be- one of the best schools in the nation. It was particularly good for helping its low income students, wasn't it?"

Ventus nodded, glancing forward without expression. "Master Eraqus wanted to give everyone an equal chance, no matter where they came from."

"Why did it shut down again?"

Ventus shrugged. "Some financial scandal. Some higher up sued about the school stealing money or something, and Eraqus was ousted from every honorary and associational position he had."

"Wow. He really did lose everything, didn't he?" Roxas' father responded. "I remember that scandal."

Ventus nodded, staring down at his empty plate. "The whole thing was a lie."

"Then why did the school shut down?" Roxas ventured, wondering. Ventus looked up at him from under his eyelashes, smirking. "Because someone played dirty."

Roxas glanced around to see what his parents thought of the look, but no one had noticed. His father was shaking his head and his mother put her fist on the table. "Terrible the way things happen like that. Every major institution is filled with corruption. It's the damn Turks chasing us all wherever we go. I'm telling you." She started to clean the plates off the table and put them in the sink, running the hot water. "I remember when they started working for Shinra- well gee, the whole world was up in arms but stuff like that is always just shoved under the table, huh?"

"Why don't I finish that for you?" Roxas' father asked, not wanting to get into a debate on Shinra. Roxas' mother nodded, turning to her two boys. "Do you want me to show you your room?" she asked, and Ventus nodded. They were led up stairs, and Ventus carried his bags up with him, setting them down in Roxas' room when his mother opened the door. "Maybe we'll get you your own bed, but money's tight right now. We've been saving up for Roxas."

Ventus shook his head. "I don't mind at all," he muttered, and Roxas' mother nodded and left. There was that uncomfortable silence that often dominated Roxas' home again, and he paced back and forth. Ventus sat on the bed, staring at him lazily as he passed by. When Roxas could stand it no more he sighed and picked up his bedclothes, getting ready to leave the room. Ventus smirked. "What are you doing?" he murmured, and Roxas turned around again. "I'm just going to go get ready for bed," he said. Ventus shrugged. "You modest?"

Roxas blushed, irritating himself more, and threw his clothes down on the bed, taking his shirt and jacket off and putting them away. Ventus got up and circled the room, picking up an old school notebook with a big sad face drawn on it. He laughed, flipping through it. "This math?"

"Yep- hate it," Roxas replied, relaxing and grinning. Ventus chuckled. "I hate it too."

"I managed a B though, so all's well that ends well, huh?"

"Yeah," Ventus responded with a chuckle. Roxas took his pants off and began to hum, folding them and putting them away before looking around his room from Ventus' perspective. It didn't look clean.

"What's that big chain?" Ventus asked suddenly, directing Roxas' eyes to the enormous chain he kept by his bed. "It's from a ship," Roxas beamed, picking some of it up and setting it down again, "it used to be on an anchor, my friends and I found it on the beach. We were going to use it for something someday. I can't throw it away." As Roxas reminisced, he put both of his hands behind his head and breathed in deeply, his chest moving up and puffing out, before sinking as he exhaled. Roxas' eyes were drawn to Ventus, and he noticed that the boy was staring at him with narrowed eyes. "What're you looking at?" Roxas snapped, folding his arms in front of him, and Ventus shrugged. "It's just weird. You look exactly like I do."

Roxas' shoulders relaxed and he pulled his nightshirt over his head.

"But I can understand why you'd be nervous. I don't even _feel _like you're my brother, it's like you're just me, except you're standing right there. I'm cute," He added, and Roxas whipped his head around. Ventus was smirking.

Roxas shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ventus sighed. "You and I know that we're never gonna feel like brothers. So let's just be friends instead. Really good friends."

Roxas nodded. "If you want," He muttered, and Ventus' smile faded. Then, he tried to brighten up. "Well, you'll have to introduce me to all your friends tomorrow. I'm sure that they're really nice people. I need some new friends since I've had to leave my old ones behind."

Roxas pursed his lips, feeling a twinge of guilt for the way he'd acted previously. "I can do that," he mumbled, pulling the covers off his bed and sitting on it cross-legged.

Ventus nodded before stripping to his underpants and squatting in front of his suitcase. "I usually sleep naked, but I won't do that to you," he winked and Roxas snorted. Ventus laughed and pulled some shorts from his trunk, shut it, and then pulled his briefs off and put the shorts on. Roxas examined him out of the corner of his eye. His body was the same, too. As Ventus looked up Roxas glanced away, furrowing his eyebrows. Ventus chuckled, before lying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. "What are their names?" he asked and Roxas looked up in confusion. "Your friends," Ventus elaborated.

Roxas scratched his head, thinking. There were a lot to think of. "Well... there's Hayner, Pence, Olette. And Xion. And then there's Namine, Kairi, Sora, Riku, Selphie, Axel, and Lea, though Lea isn't very interested in our group. He's got his own friends."

Ventus nodded, and Roxas went on. "Then in Hollow Bastion there's Aerith, Leon, Yuffie, and Cid. And Loz and his brothers have just moved down here. So, there are them too. There are a lot of people that you need to meet."

Ventus nodded, and Roxas could see that he was excited. "I can't wait to get to know all of them. Maybe we could arrange a party." He added, and Roxas nodded. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

Ventus sighed and smiled, closing his eyes. "It'll be good for me to start over again."

This puzzled Roxas but he did not inquire. The last thing he needed was new worries.

...

Naminé sat across from Leon positioning her silverware. It was silver trimmed with gold, and Naminé had not expected the restaurant to be so upscale. "I can pay," she blurted out, but Leon snorted and shook his head. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to pay the first date?"

Naminé shook her head and Leon chuckled. "You let the guy pay the first date. If you don't like him you get a free dinner. If he's worth _you _paying _his _dinner, then you take him out again."

Naminé smiled. "That's a very reciprocal way of seeing it," she murmured. Leon snorted again. "Ten dollar word." Naminé smiled and folded her hair behind her ear. There was painful silence as the two thought of things to say.

"So…" Naminé tried. "This weather is, um... crazy!" She tried, waving her hand over her head in indication. Leon nodded, pursing his lips and looking at the wine menu.

"Oh, happy 18th!" He said brightly, and Naminé smiled. Then, Leon began to worry about the implications his comment might have had. "Well, it hasn't come quite yet!" Naminé responded, and Leon nodded, embarrassed. "When is it?"

"June 8th."

Leon chuckled at this, folding his arms over his chest. "A summer baby, huh?"

"Not exactly. I don't have a birth certificate. I really don't know howold I am."

Leon ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you remember your parents at all?" He chanced.

Naminé tapped her chin for a moment, and then she shrugged. "No. But I remember an orphanage."

"It was called 'L'Académie Pour Les Petite Débutantes'," she continued. "But, I can't remember much. All I remember is getting punished. I was a bad student, I guess," she laughed. Leon looked on Naminé in fascination. "Does anyone else know?" Naminé shook her head then she winked at Leon.

"And that's my 18th birthday present to _you._"

"Thanks," Leon responded. "What's your story?" Naminé asked, repositioning her silverware again, and Leon sighed extravagantly. "Well, _that _part of _my _life is touchy, but I'll tell you," He said. "I was born in Radiant Garden, Hollow Bastion, now… used to be a real touristy area … Ansem was the mayor … but there was always trouble…then, one day, it was called the Hollow Bastion Massacre- Cid just calls it 'the invasion'- these guys with guns came in and shot at people," Leon's voice became low and he bent his head as he always did when he pondered on sad memories. Naminé averted her eyes, staring outside. The sky was clear. "Ansem disappeared," Leon continued, "Everyone thought he'd been assassinated. King Mickey had to come in and sort things out. Cid got out of the city with us just as things were getting really bad."

Naminé turned back to him. "Do they know who caused it?"

Leon shrugged. "Different people think different things. Some think that Ansem had dealings with underground organizations like the Turks and let them down or something. Some even thought Master Eraqus did it because Xehanort was in town. They thought Eraqus wanted 'revenge' for Xehanort ousting him from his job-"

Naminé snapped to attention at this, and Leon stopped. "Something wrong?" he asked. Naminé shook her head. "Just memories of DiZ. When did the invasion happen? I'm sorry, I- I… I just don't remember…"

Leon shrugged. "Let's see, Roxas is a year younger than Yuffie so… he would've been around 9 at the time that all that stuff was going on- so about nine years ago."

"DiZ talked about Eraqus once. He was sad. He thought he was a great man."

"DiZ being Ansem?" Leon corrected and Naminé nodded brusquely, shutting her eyes. "Yes, Ansem, sorry." Leon shrugged again, looking out the window with dark eyes. "It's funny to hear other people's stories, especially people who had direct contact with the blamed… but then again, you had direct contact with Ansem, what did you think of him?"

"I didn't know him very well," Naminé confessed. "But from what I knew of him he was very domineering and very intelligent... not always noble, but what he did at the end was the noblest thing that anyone has ever done for me…"

"Bad people can do good things," Leon interjected. Naminé shrugged. "I tend to think of it the other way around." She smiled and looked back up at Leon, who blushed and rubbed his eyes. "We're on our fifth date and we're already telling each other our life story… and arguing about conspiracies…" He added. Naminé shrugged. "It's okay." Then she spied a waiter coming over with their food. "We have the soup of the day, and an order chicken parmesan?" The waiter called, and Leon raised his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Leon noticed that Naminé was staring down at her napkin, folding the corners back and forth over and over. He wondered what she was thinking about.


	4. Foreboding Trouble

Aerith woke up, stretching her arms to the sky before turning around with as little noise as possible. Zack lay beside her. She had dreamed of meeting him again for years but she had set her own wants aside so she could look after her friends. A strand of hair fell into Zack's face and Aerith pushed it back, humming. She let her hands trail from his hairline down to the underside of his jaw as he stirred in his sleep. His eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes, wincing from the sunlight. Then he smiled at Aerith and gave her a kiss. "How are you, love?" he whispered, stretching his arms out. Then, he pulled Aerith closer to him and tucked her head under his chin. Aerith shrugged. "I was just wondering about the wedding. Are you sure we're alright to have it?"

Zack furrowed his eyebrows at this, grinning in confusion. "What do you mean 'are we all right'? Do you want to call the wedding off?" Aerith shook her head and put her arms around Zack's waist. "Of course not, I just meant financially. Can we do something this big with the job that you have right now? You're just working for the Restoration Committee- which isn't a bad thing, but…" Aerith shrugged. "I can wait longer. I don't want us to have to go through any more hardships if I can prevent it." Zack smirked at her and grinned, turning away and putting his arm around his pillow, pretending to sleep.

"What is it, Zack? Have you forgotten to tell me something?" Aerith asked with curiosity. Zack wouldn't turn around, so Aerith smiled, running her lips along his shoulder blades. "Zack, come on…"

Zack turned to face her again, beaming. "I got the job."

"You mean the one that Sora's dad recommended you for?" Aerith gasped.

Zack nodded excitedly, whispering, "Yeah, I'm gonna work alongside him now!" Aerith squealed at the good news. Zack would be working for the Investigation Bureau. Her fiancé pulled Aerith off the bed and hugged her close to him, swinging her around and kissing her. "You can have as big a wedding as you want! We can rent the terrace in Disney City! They have a beautiful hotel there, too."

Aerith shook her head. "I don't want something too big. But the terrace might be nice for the dinner." She added with excitement. "And we could go somewhere really nice for the honeymoon." Zack looked right into her eyes when she said this, and made her blush. Then he held her close to him and rocked her back and forth. "Are you happy?" he asked. She grinned at him. "Of course I'm happy! Couldn't you tell?"

Zack chuckled and tucked her head under his chin and rocked her again. "I remember when I fell through that church. And look at us now," he sighed, closing his eyes. Aerith's eyes shone. "Do you think any of them remember us?" Zack furrowed his eyebrows and looked back down at Aerith, whose eyes were averted. He kissed her again and rubbed her shoulders. "Things are finally happening for us," he sighed. Aerith nodded. The phone rang from downstairs, and Aerith snapped out of her bliss. "Oh. I wonder who that is," She mumbled, starting off to the kitchen. "Oh, and Zack?" she added. Zack looked back at her with raised eyebrows. She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. "It'd also be nice if we have a house of our own to move into when we get married." She whispered, and Zack nodded, chuckling.

"It's for you, Aerith. It's Xion." Cid called from downstairs. His voice was hoarse from a cold. Aerith nodded, and went down to him. She was still living with Cid and Yuffie, though Yuffie spent an increasingly large amount of time at Loz's apartment. Leon had moved out on his own after Zack started living in Cid's house, though Aerith would have moved out with Zack ages ago if they hadn't been saving to buy a house. Aerith trudged to the kitchen and picked up the phone, smiling when a familiar voice answered. "Hi, Xion. What's going on with you?" Aerith asked, twirling the phone cord in her fingers and moving further into the kitchen.

"_Oh, I just wanted to inform you- and I am not joking- that Roxas has got a brother." _

Aerith gaped and put her hand on her hip. "You never told me his mother was pregnant! Funny how things happen."

"_No, no, I don't mean he has a new _baby_ brother. I mean he has a new _twin_ brother."_

Aerith narrowed her eyes. "I must admit, Xion, I don't believe you." Aerith chuckled, and she heard Xion sigh across the phone.

"_It turns out that when Roxas was born, he was actually a twin, and one of the nurses stole him from the hospital. Wait, have you seen the news?" _

Aerith blushed. "I didn't watch the news last night; I was... busy with wedding plans."

"_Well, it's all over the news, it's just… it's strange for everyone. But when you see him, you'll believe me." _

Aerith nodded. "Okay. Does he need a welcoming party?"

"_Well, I was just wondering if you would like to meet him, you don't need to arrange a party." _

Aerith was already shaking her head. "No, no. I would love to give him a welcoming party."

Xion laughed across the phone_. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!"_

Aerith smiled. "Oh, what's his name?"

"_It's Ventus." _

Aerith nodded. "Ventus. That's interesting. I'll see if everyone can come over for dinner tonight. Zack, Leon, and Loz and his brothers are all off work."

"_That's great. I just wanted to call before I went over to them, I'll tell them about it when I get there. Axel's coming over to hang out with us, and so is Naminé." _

Aerith nodded, thinking of something. "Is Naminé doing well?"

"_Yeah, she's great. She paints nonstop. She's a little songbird, too." _

"Is she happy?"

"_Yeah, she's doing great. Everything is finally normal." _

Aerith chuckled and beamed, though Xion couldn't see her. "That is wonderful, Xion. I'm happy for you."

"_You too, Aerith, I can't wait to see you walk down that aisle." _

"Thanks, honey," Aerith finished in a murmur. She remembered a time when Xion was reserved. She'd changed dramatically in two years. Aerith often wondered if _she _had changed that much. After all, they both knew the same kind of pain. _"Did Zack get that job?"_ Xion asked and Aerith said 'oh'. "I didn't know you knew about that!" she chuckled. Xion giggled. _"Well, I think Roxas told me. But did he get it?"_

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone!" Aerith murmured. Xion cheered across the phone before stopping. _"Wait, would you have to move?"_ She asked in alarm. Aerith pursed her lips. "I don't know yet. Talk to you later, Xion."

"_Bye"_ Xion chirped, and Aerith returned the goodbye and hung up. She spied Cid walking into the kitchen, and she waved to him as she put the phone back on the receiver. "Cid, how's the yoga going?" Aerith asked, and Cid snorted, setting his hand against the wall and rolling his eyes. "I've been bent into all shapes humanely possible, and they're still telling me I have a long way to go. They're gonna turn me into a human octopus. You know, the other day I saw a special on them," Cid commented, and Aerith grinned at him, imploring. "They made him squeeze through a transparent pipe, and he turned out okay in the end. I'm going to be like that soon if this doesn't let up," he barked, getting some bread from the cupboard. Aerith shook her head, chuckling at the thought. Then she shrugged. "Well, Cid. You're moving much better now. Women don't like stiff men anyway, they like someone who can loosen up."

Cid snorted. "Yeah, I'll dazzle them by contorting into a human pretzel." After saying this, Cid guffawed, and strode over to the stove, pulling the kettle off the cook top and pouring himself some tea. Then he slipped the bread into the oven and turned it to broil, looking back over at Aerith and sighing. "I don't need a woman, anyway. I'm a lone wolf, you know? The frivolities of domestic life are beyond me now- I wouldn't know how to treat a dainty lady," He teased, patting Aerith on the shoulder. Then he took a slurp from his cup and breathed out through his nostrils as Aerith got her purse together. "But I was like Leon in my youth, a strapping young lad. He's still got hope."

"Not all women are dainty," Aerith sang, not having heard Cid's last comment. "You just need to find the type that suits you." Cid looked off into the distance, scowling. Then, he shrugged it off, and went back to his tea, checking the toast. "What would a woman do with me anyway? I'm a mangy mutt." When Aerith glanced over, she furrowed her brows. Suddenly, she saw Cid from a strangely objective view, not as a father or a protector, but finally as a man, like every other man who was getting old and tired. He had looked after Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie for a long time, but soon the time would come where they would leave, and he would be on his own, cradling broken dreams. Aerith scratched her head, feeling an ache for him. "Xion just called me to tell me that Roxas has a new brother," she murmured. "Turns out he had a twin that he never knew about." Out of the corner of her eye, Aerith noticed Cid nodding.

"I saw it on the news in the city square pub," Cid agreed. "Then a picture of the two boys came up and I swear I couldn't tell which was which. I thought I'd gotten so drunk I was seeing things, but then I asked the bar man if what was on the TV was really happening and he said it was all over the news in Twilight Town," he explained through bouts of laughter. As Aerith mulled things over her curiosity intensified. She was suddenly very excited about meeting the mysterious twin. "Cid, we're having a little get together tonight, I'm gonna go out and get the food now, can you call everyone and see who will come?"

Cid nodded from the kitchen as Aerith went to get her jacket and Zack came down the stairs.

"Are we gonna meet the new kid?" Cid asked, and Aerith smiled in affirmation, running out the front door. "You know if we keep having these weekend parties you're going to run out of money for that wedding!" Cid bellowed after her. "Can _Zack_ pay for it? _Hah_?" he added, but Aerith was gone. Zack looked puzzled and Cid took the phone back off the receiver, throwing it to Zack, who caught it precariously. "Call everyone we know and tell them we're having a get together tonight, alright? I'm going to watch some TV" Cid drawled, trudging into the living room. Zack looked on as Cid disappeared in front of the couch. "Aerith won't be pleased when she comes home and sees you haven't practiced stretching-" he started, but Cid interjected with, "Let's see you do some stretching, hah?! Ya bratty kid…"

Zack rolled his eyes, but didn't bother Cid any longer. Then, he sat down, muttering, and started to make calls.

…

Xion stepped off the train in the Land That Never Was with her hood up, remembering her surroundings. Then she slunk down a side street near the station and tried to disappear. She kept her head bent low, peeking out ahead through the fringe of her hair. Occasionally she looked behind her. No one was following. Turning around again, she took the crumpled slip of paper she had in her pocket and smoothed it out in her hand, reading over it. "Renoir Street, how fancy," she muttered, looking around her. Renoir Street was a dirty back alley sandwiched between two buildings on the main street that ran through the city. It looked seedy, but Xion took a deep breath and hunched her shoulders, speeding across the road and down its entrance staircase in a hurry.

There was a tinker playing the guitar, hunched in a corner with a blanket wrapped around him, rasping a song that Xion couldn't recognize. Some youths were listening, high as kites, swaying back and forth and humming. Xion passed by and disappeared down a curve in the street, descending another set of steep stairs until the buildings surrounding her loomed up so high they hid the sun. The air was colder down in this low part of the city and Xion shivered, her breath spiraling up in front of her like smoke. Then she found the shop she was looking for and grinned, moving over to it. It was reminiscent of a shack, with wooden paneling and window frames, and a brick base, uncharacteristic of the rest of the city lit with a neon glow and glinting with black metal. A bell rang as Xion entered the door. She heard singing somewhere in the store's bowels. It looked like a little bank on the inside, with a teller window separating the lobby from the rest of the building. Through the glass window Xion noticed ten tables lined on the walls filled with files and journals of various shapes and sizes. There were maps and books and a few odd computers, ancient and laden with dusty wires that snaked across the floor. Above the tables were cabinets, filled with more papers. There was a door on the right wall that perhaps lead to an upstairs level, and it opened to reveal a small yuppie looking kid with thick framed glasses carrying out paperwork.

"Excuse me," Xion called, but the boy held up a finger indicating for her to wait. Xion sighed in irritation as the kid set down his files and walked over to her, his bored expression changing when he peered closer. "Well, hello there, gorgeous!" he beamed. Xion snorted and beckoned for him to come close to the glass. "You do more than just background checks here, right?" she asked. The boy went rim rod straight before he turned and went back to his files. "Do you remember Shinra's early days?" he called, rummaging through paperwork near one of the computers. Xion shrugged. "Not really."

"Do you remember the phrase 'what do men cry for?"

Xion narrowed her eyes at him. "No."

"Men don't cry for themselves, they cry for their comrades, right?"

Then, it clicked in Xion's head. "Well it's good that I'm not a man, because I cry for myself," she replied from memory, raising her eyes to facilitate it. The young man narrowed his eyes and Xion consulted her piece of paper. "Sorry, that was _great, _not _good._" There was silence for a moment as the young man examined Xion, then he beamed, clapped his hands, and unlatched a small side door by the teller and let Xion behind the glass. "We've got every type of fake identity you could dream of," he sang, holding up an example social security card, "and we have a hell of a business going here. Just tell me what you need and I'll get it together for you."

"Can I see an example of your work?" Xion asked, thoroughly amused. She peeked around the papers and cabinets in intrigue. The boy nodded and brought out a labeled manila folder filled with different documents. "Social security number, driver's license, security clearance, student id, passport, this is a fun one- BI clearance."

"BI clearance?" Xion barked. "As in the Bureau of Investigation?"

"You got it," the young man replied. "But that'll cost you a pretty penny."

"How much?" Xion asked. The young man grinned. "Ten million munny."

"Oh, wow," Xion blew out a deep breath, shaking her head. "No, no clearance for me."

The boy sighed in despondence and shrugged, holding up the police clearance. "Less sophisticated but still worth the while."

"No thanks," Xion chuckled. "I'm not that sophisticated of a criminal. I'm just here to take a look around."

The boy spread the fake documents in front of her. "We copy all the details; the micro text, UV ink, hologram... all of the ink and paper we use are the same ink and paper used in the actual documents- as well as the plastic cards. Our passports have a very high performance rate, we take submissions and make them ourselves, reproducing watermarks, security threads, intaglio printing, fluorescent dyes, color changing ink, laser perforation, blah, blah, blah. Am I going to fast?"

"No, I'm intrigued," Xion chuckled in response, staring at the fake passport before her.

"We can also duplicate passports we already have, with regards to age, ethnicity and nationality, and stick your picture on the front of them," the boy explained, grinning. "Of course, with the high end security clearance options, like the BI clearance, you have to have a certain name attached."

"Why?" Xion asked in curiosity, and the boy shrugged with a smug sigh. "They have a database of identities with clearance. We see who you look like and you're them for a while."

"How do they know you're not using one of their guy's clearances?"

"Most of the guys impersonated are dead or off duty," the boy laughed. "We just get a picture of them when they were young and see if you resemble them. Depends on how careful you need to be."

"Fascinating," Xion muttered, reading over the documents. "How much could a simple identity tweak cost?"

"Like age change?" the boy asked. Xion shrugged. "The works."

The boy narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "I'd want to do an identity check on _you _first."

"You won't find much," Xion replied. The boy stared at her, smiling. "I know you want that BI clearance."

"Find me the perfect candidate and I'll think about it," Xion muttered.

"I've got one right now!" the boy chirped, rummaging through one of the cabinets and pulling out a plastic box filled with old BI clearance cards. "These are pretty near priceless, so be careful with them," he cooed, handing the box to her with care. Xion took it and rummaged through it, looking to see if any of them looked like her. There were a number of black haired women with her messy bob. "No blue eyes in here."

"Hey, if you need to wear contacts, I can get you to a supplier."

"None of these people look like me," Xion responded. "And I'm not paying millions of money for a little slip of paper. You can get me the contact guy, though, just for fun." Then Xion slung her purse over her shoulder and shoved the piece of paper back into her pocket. The boy in front of her bit his lip and drummed his fingers on the table. Then, he piped up, "Hey!"

Xion turned around, as she was about to leave, and waited for the boy to continue. He adjusted his glasses and held out his hands towards her. "You have a really nice ass," he blubbered, "c-can I like... touch it?" There was silence for a minute as Xion processed the request, furrowing her eyebrows. "Well," she started, stopping. "I have heard weirder."

"I can take you out on a date first," the boy added, leaning on the side of a table and grinning. "Show you the ins and outs of the identity trade."

Xion beamed but shook her head. "Get me some brown contacts and I'll come and pick them up." Then, she left.

...

Axel sighed, looking down at his phone. Selphie hadn't sent him any new messages or voicemails, which was surprising. She hadn't called him since the 'Lea' incident three days ago and Axel was wondering if she was still angry. It hadn't been his fault that Lea had walked in on the two of them. Lea was over at Isa's house for the third day in a row. Axel decided not to venture an apology yet because he was afraid of the backlash. He still didn't understand the kid at all. Axel understood _he_ was a failure, evidenced by Reno's monthly support checks and Axel's inability to hold a job for more than a few months. And by his relationship with Selphie, which was going downhill fast. He didn't exactly live for the constant haranguing he got from Lea whenever they happened to have a 'conversation', which was the family's special word for a shouting match.

In an effort at being a responsible adult Axel had scheduled an interview with the owner of a small antique shop in Hollow Bastion Square. As he got off the train and hurried towards the square, he looked around to see if he was in the right place. When he got to the shop he peered in the window to see if it was even open. It wasn't the liveliest place in the area. Then, he noticed a little carved box in the display window. Axel pursed his lips and thought of Selphie. But then he frowned. The only presents Selphie deemed a success were expensive bags and jewelry. She wouldn't like anything he got her unless it was smothered in diamonds. As Axel leaned against the glass he wondered how he'd gotten serious with Selphie. Then he snorted. "Serious," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "It's a dilemma," he added.

Axel yelped when he felt a strong hand fall on his shoulder, but when he turned to see who was there he noticed it was just a wizened old man. "How are you young man?" the man barked. Axel nodded and held out his hand. "I'm Axel. I'm here for a job interview." The man nodded in return and beckoned for Axel to come inside. "I saw you looking at the piece inside the display case, would you like me to take it out for you?"

Axel thought for a moment, and then nodded, adding, "but I don't think I'll be able to buy it just yet," as the box was taken out from inside the glass. The man chuckled and set it in Axel's hand. "It's a heart box; you give it to the person that you want to give your heart to. It has a secret way of opening it, you see…" the man took the box and demonstrated for Axel. "Right now it is on a set that I gave it, but you can reset it to any pattern you want." The man gently twirled the box around counter clock wise, and then clockwise. Then, he turned it upside down, and then right side up again, three times. Lastly, he spun it again, and Axel heard the box click. The man opened the lid, and Axel gasped. The inside was carved in incredible detail, inlaid with pearl and a strange crystal. There was a heart carved in the middle, with tiny shards of the crystal all around it. "What's the gem around the heart?" Axel asked, and the man cleared his throat.

"It's called 'Fairies Mirror'. It enables the onlooker to see inside their heart. It can only be found in the caverns below the Sea of Woe, beyond the ocean surrounding Destiny Islands."

Axel nodded, smiling. "I remember my mom used to tell us stories about that place when we were kids. Weird." Axel's smile faded as he remembered his mother sitting on the couch with them when he and Reno took turns telling Lea stories. Reno was first, then Axel, and then his mother. As Axel held the box up to the light, a black streak flickered over its surface, there and then gone. "Are you having a hard time at the moment?" The man questioned, and Axel bristled. "It was just the shadow of my hand, no big deal," Axel muttered, closing the box and handing it to the old man. The shop owner nodded and put it back in the display case. "Things like this sometimes are harbingers for events that haven't quite come. You could sidestep a lot of heartache with heed." Then, he straightened up and smiled again. "Well, do you like it?" he asked, raising his head up and looking around him. Axel looked around the store too. "It's fantastic. It really feels like the preservation of the place is sound, like a look into the past, or, maybe..." Axel was getting himself confused trying to sound intellectual, so he just shrugged. "I could spend hours in here," he muttered with a crooked grin.

"It's a pity that you want a job here." The man sighed in response, and Axel opened his mouth to say something, and then rethought it, breathing out instead. "What do you mean?" he managed. The man took a deep breath and cocked his head to the side. "Well, if you had come in here on a whim, not intending to get anything out of me, we would have had a more genuine conversation. But when I feel that you want something from me, I cannot identify whether or not you are genuine. I can tell you need the job." The man looked Axel up and down, and Axel bristled again. The man chuckled. "I called a few of your previous employers and they all said that you were a nice enough person but your shenanigans and withholding of information made them let you go."

Axel chuckled, holding onto the last shred of care he had. "It's a wonder I got any other jobs at all," He drawled, grinning at the man, who was not impressed.

"What information did you withhold?" The man asked, and Axel sighed, looking away in irritation. He weighed the pros and cons of the truth in his head. Then he muttered, "I was involved in the Organization 13 scandal a few years back," looking over at the man to see his reaction. Surprisingly, the man was unfazed. "Were you one of the perpetrators?" The he inquired.

"Nah" Axel shrugged. "A friend of mine did the accounting for the company, and they were going to blame the scam on her. That's what it all branched off from. Then my other friend left the organization and I decided that I needed to get them all sent to jail. So I pushed buttons and got them sent to jail."

The man looked worried. "Meddling, eh? Maybe it would've done you better to just report the Organization rather than getting your hands dirty."

Axel whipped his head up, feeling that the man's comment was an accusation. "Well things don't happen unless you think for yourself," he snapped, folding his arms in front of him. The man sighed, and Axel laughed. "Dang, I'm sorry I told you all that information. I'll probably never get the job now."

The man shrugged again. "I usually _give _job offers, not receive applications. That's why I don't send them out. I just felt like I needed an assistant and I thought I'd give the application process a try."

"How do you like it?" Axel tried.

"Not very much," the man responded, "I don't think I'll be using it again. Take care of yourself young man."

Axel's face fell. He nodded quickly and exited the shop, stomping down the road. He had been invited to a get together at Aerith's tonight to celebrate Roxas' new brother's addition to the family. As he passed by a little boutique window, an idea popped into Axel's head. He decided that he'd get Selphie something in apology for the way he'd acted over the past few weeks. He hadn't been as social as he could've been, and for some reason he felt guilty. He stepped inside and went over to the jewelry counter, scratching the back of his head. Axel wasn't very good at the boyfriend thing, he never had been. But, he decided he'd try to make an effort at it.

"I'll take the necklace in the corner." He mumbled, and laid out a weeks' worth of dinner cash right in front of the sales assistant's register. The woman nodded, and added it up for him. "Oh. You're twenty cents under." She chirped, looking at her fingernails. Axel's face went bright red, and he searched frantically through his pockets, then behind him, noticing a line forming for the cash register. He only had his train money left, and he had to get to Selphie's house and back to Hollow Bastion. Eventually someone behind him got fed up and dug in their purse for a dollar. "Here, keep the change," they said to the person at the cash desk, who took the money. It seems like years passed as she counted up everything and finally gave Axel his receipt. As soon as the piece of paper was passed into his hands, Axel stuffed it in his pocket, grabbed the necklace, and raced from the store as fast as he could. He looked at the clock in his phone and cursed under his breath. He was to be at the party in thirty minutes, but he wanted to give the present to Selphie before they left so she could wear it to the party.

The red head charged to the train station and almost missed the 4 o'clock train to Destiny Islands. When he got to Selphie's house Axel was panting heavily from trying to hurry. Sucking in a deep breath, he gave himself a moment to make himself presentable, and then he knocked on the door. Selphie's mother answered, trying to hide a cigarette behind her back. When she noticed that it was only Axel she sighed in relief and took a long drag. "The kids are trying to get me to quit," she muttered, shrugging as if it was a formidable excuse.

"I suspect that Selphie isn't home?" Axel drawled, and Selphie's mother nodded, and then gaped. "Oh, she wanted me to tell you that she decided to go to the party early."

Axel nodded, disappointed, deciding to go to the party himself. He said goodbye to Selphie's mother and headed off back to the train station to go to Hollow Bastion again. "More money wasted," he muttered to himself, paying for his ticket and boarding the train. He looked at his watch as he sat down, letting out a deep sigh. It was now 5 o'clock. The party had been going on for a while. He smirked at the thought of making a 'big entrance.' He'd have to think of something good. He _heard_ the party about five houses down from where it actually was, and when he knocked on the door Aerith answered with a big grin, giving him a hug. He lingered on, rubbing Aerith's back, but Aerith gave a little cough and Axel let go of her and chuckled. "How's the future bride doing?" He beamed, and Aerith laughed. "Things are great- you missed the announcement about his new job!" Aerith explained, and Axel followed her as she went into the kitchen. "He's working for the BI now!"

"That's where Reno works," Axel mumbled. Then he gasped. "Wait, are you moving to Midgar?"

Aerith wrinkled her nose at this and chuckled. "No, not that far, we'll still be nearby. We might even move out by the wedding day!" she added with delight, and Axel smirked. "You mean, into your own apartment?"

Aerith shook her head. "No, into our own house!"

Axel frowned - he didn't know if he quite liked the sound of _settled _life. Something about always returning to the same house, and always having sex with the same person- for years, bothered him. The pregnant woman from the train returned to his mind and he grimaced. Aerith laughed at his facial expression. "I'm guessing that that's not the life for you, Axel?" she cooed, poking his nose. Axel snorted, shaking his head. "Nah, I haven't even found a proper girlfriend. I can't settle worth a damn."

Aerith was puzzled. "I thought you were with Selphie," she murmured. Axel pursed his lips and looked out onto the party. "Things aren't going well."

Aerith nodded and shrugged. "I hope you sort things out."

Axel didn't know what to say back to her, so he just refrained from answering. Yuffie popped out from the hallway, abating any silence that would have crept into the room, and ran over and hugged Axel. "Hey, Yuffie, what's going on with you?" Axel asked, and Yuffie giggled and called out for Loz. "I want you to meet my new boyfriend." She chirped, pointing at Loz, who slipped his hand in hers and waved at Axel. Axel cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Nice job, Yuffie," he murmured. Yuffie appeared _not _to be enjoying the attention that was being given to Loz, and scootched herself in between Axel and her boyfriend, protecting him. "Well, it seems like you two have met before, so I'm just gonna go back outside with this big guy and talk a little bit more to the new twin," then Yuffie squealed in excitement. "He is just so cute! You really can't tell the two apart unless you start really talking to them. They look absolutely identical- which is, well, I suppose it's the point, but…" she trailed off, shrugging. "Well, see you all outside!" she chirped, and then dragged Loz out the back door and into the garden. Aerith chuckled and shook her head, watching them together before turning back to Axel. "It's funny; she likes him a lot. They're different, though, it's a wonder that they can stand each other."

Axel smiled. He'd never imagined Yuffie to be the girlfriend type; she was so childish. But then again, so was Loz. It was nice that Yuffie stayed the same. Then Axel was reminded of Selphie. "Hey, Aerith, have you seen Selphie around? She said that she was coming to the party early." Aerith nodded and pointed upstairs. "She went to find something with Sora. I think they might be in the office."

Axel stared at Aerith, feeling an ominous presence in the air, but he shook it off and nodded to her, telling himself that he was probably just being paranoid. But, if he judged on what _he _would do in Selphie's situation, he figured he knew the outcome of _this _situation. He began running up the stairs at the sound of giggles coming from the small office at the top of the hall. "Shit shit shit…" he growled to himself as he rounded the corner of the banister and opened the door.

Selphie was on the floor with her shirt and bra discarded somewhere in the room, and Sora was kissing her chest passionately, snarling and curling the fingers of his left hand like a wild cat's. "I'm a lion and you're my prey!" He growled, wrinkling his nose and licking Selphie's stomach. Selphie cried out and descended into a fit of giggles as Sora pretended to eat her belly, and Axel stood in shock, looking on the scene with mild disgust. As Selphie opened her eyes her gaze fell on Axel, standing stock still in the doorway. Selphie yelped and pushed Sora off before covering herself and blushing a deeper shade of red than Axel had ever seen on her. In the ensuing silence, the sound of Yuffie singing was heard downstairs, and then Aerith, who was greeting Xion.

"Um, Axel? I- it's over honey." Selphie muttered. Axel chucked the box in his hand on the floor and threw his arms in the air. "No shit!" he barked. "You didn't have to tell me!" Sora giggled, and then shut up when Axel glared at him. "I've never been cheated on in my life," he wailed. Sora smiled at Axel in encouragement. "Think of it as a learning experience! There's always a first for everything-!"

"-Shut up, kid," Axel interrupted, and then Selphie put her hand on her hips and waggled her finger.

"Sora is _not _a kid- he is quite experienced. He's very good with-"

"How the hell long has this been going on?" Axel interjected, trying to calm down.

Selphie blushed and gulped, shrugging. "Um, maybe, like… two months?" She squeaked, trailing off as she got to the last few words. Axel's mouth fell open and he rubbed his chest as if mortally wounded. Then, using the last of his resolve, he picked up the box on the floor and threw it at Selphie with one dramatic stroke. "The one time I decide to do something nice for you, you turn around and throw it back in my face," he spat, turning for the door as Selphie opened the box. Her gasp gave Axel encouragement, and he turned around with a bright smile as Selphie let out an 'aw', draping the necklace over her arm.

"Do you like it?" He chirped, and Selphie looked at him with big eyes, holding up the blue stoned bracelet for him to see. She looked down at it once more before giving him a pitying glance. "Axel," she whispered, "my color is pink."

Axel's mouth fell open in disbelief. Then his face contorted with rage and he let out a howl, storming down the stairs and out the front door. Aerith got a fright when she heard it slam and she ran outside to see what was going on. "Axel!" she screamed after him as he went down the pathway and onto the sidewalk. "Axel, what is wrong with you?"

Axel whipped around and threw his hands up in the air. "It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" he laughed maniacally, and then he turned around and started to leave. "What happened?" Aerith screamed after him. She didn't notice Roxas and Ventus running past her.

"Ask Selphie!" Axel shouted, turning around once more. Then he stood there gaping. Roxas and a doppelganger were standing beside each other, silent. Axel whipped his head from one to the other in confusion, but when one of the boys ran over and punched him in the chest he figured out who was who.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Roxas shouted. "This was supposed to be a nice get together for everyone, and you go storming around yelling all over the place. Everyone is asking what is going on!"

Axel thought over it for a moment, noticing that a small crowd had gathered at the front door including Selphie and Sora. The man shook his head and turned away from them, but Roxas patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "Axel, come back to the party," he murmured, but Axel shook his head. "I can't go back in there now, Roxas," he whined, and Roxas snorted, responding, "Coward." Axel looked up to the sky for a moment, folding his hands over his chest. "Fine, asshole," making Roxas smile. "First," he announced, pointing to Ventus, "I want you to meet my new twin. Ventus, this is Axel."

Ventus looked Axel up and down with narrowed eyes, and then smirked. "Nice to meet you, Axel," He murmured and Axel raised his eyebrows in curiosity. Then, Ventus glanced at Roxas before starting back inside with the rest of the crowd. Axel wasn't trailing far behind when Roxas stopped him. "Hey, Axel?" the boy asked, watching his brother as he walked in the door. "Yeah, Roxas?" Axel replied.

"Did you see the smirk?"

Axel nodded. "Yeah, I saw it."

Roxas pursed his lips, thinking. "Then it's not just me."

He lingered a few moments before snapping out of it and squeezing Axel's shoulder. Axel felt a whole shock go up his arm when Roxas touched him. The boy looked uncomfortable, but he took a deep breath and met Axel's eye with a worried glance. "Axel, you've been acting really weird ever since… well, you know," Roxas mumbled, blushing and failing to elaborate. Then, he stared straight into Axel's eyes. "I hope that things can go back to the way they were."

Axel smiled, before unpleasant memories entered his mind, making him sigh and shake his head. "Things have changed, Roxas," he murmured. Roxas opened his mouth in dismay, but then shut it, nodding as if refusing to take Axel's words for truth. Then he grimaced and snickered. "So you're saying that it's my fault?" he snapped. "Because I didn't go through with it?"

"I'm not saying it's your fault," Axel chuckled, rubbing his eyes. "I'm saying that's the truth of the way things have turned out. It's my fault for making the deal in the first place. You can't bargain love."

"But I did love you, Axel!" Roxas whined. "I trusted you! But after what you did, I just didn't think that I could anymore, I couldn't see you the same way…"

Axel's expression hardened. "Do you trust me now?"

Roxas' shoulders fell, and hesitated, before shaking his head.

"Don't say stuff about going back when you can't go through with it," Axel sighed.

Roxas softened at this, averting his eyes. "Can't we even just pretend?" he whined. Then he stared up at Axel with a strange glint in his eyes. Axel raised his eyebrows and then furrowed them in confusion. "Just like the 'good old days'?" he asked. Then he chuckled. "Like you said once before, we can't go back."

"The context of that was different!" Roxas barked in return, folding his arms in front of him. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something good to say. But he unfolded his arms so that they hung limp at his sides, and trudged back to the house instead. Roxas was surprised to see that Ventus was still at the door, looking around. Roxas frowned. Then, Ventus raised his head up and looked Roxas straight in the eye, catching him. Roxas looked away. Ventus chuckled in irritation. "The day I can find someone to look me in the face…" then he trailed off, and a shadow passed over his deep blue eyes. They shone like jet. "What's Axel like?" Ventus asked, and Roxas shrugged. "He's a nice guy. He's tough to crack, though."

Ventus nodded, "Like me," he murmured, grinning. Roxas shrugged and responded to Aerith's call out the backyard. Ventus followed him. Axel sat on the sidewalk stabbing the ground with a stick. On the final jab it broke in two and the splinters lodged in his fingers. He cursed, deciding to go back to the house to get a Band-Aid.

As he went into the kitchen he spied Roxas talking to Aerith. He opened his mouth and went over to the boy to try to tell him something, but Roxas glanced at him and left the room. Aerith looked puzzled, playing with the long bangs that framed either side of her face. Axel sighed and trudged over. "Um, where are the band aids?" he grumbled, and Aerith gasped when she looked at his fingers. "Axel, what were you doing?" she sighed, and Axel blushed.

"I was just, um, messing with a stick, and it broke and the splinters got into my hand. I'm sorry," He added, but Aerith shook her head, patting him on the side of the face. "You don't have to apologize. Remember, Axel, there are people here who care about you. Even when you act like an idiot."

Axel smiled and leaned in close to her, forgetting where he was, but Aerith's expression darkened and she pushed away from him. "Axel, I'm getting married." Axel shrugged as she hunted for the first aid box. "You're not married yet," he mumbled and Aerith stared at him with a deep scowl. Before she could open her mouth to reply, though, Roxas walked inside the room, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Roxas, do you think you could help Axel with his hand?" she chirped. Roxas blinked and nodded, narrowing his eyes. "What happened?" he murmured, furrowing his brows. Aerith rolled her eyes. "Axel was jabbing a stick into the ground and got splinters." To this, Roxas laughed and nodded, leading Axel up to the bathroom and sitting him down on the toilet. He signaled for Axel to hold his hand out and the man did so as Roxas sat down on the side of the bath. "You're an idiot, you know that?" Roxas announced. Axel nodded. "Yep. It's a well known fact, now."

Roxas smiled and looked at Axel again, glancing up at him through his eyelashes. Axel stared back and beckoned for Roxas to fix up his hand, chuckling. Roxas nodded, pulling out the tweezers. "This may hurt, crybaby," Roxas muttered, and began pulling out the splinters. He was surprisingly gentle, and the tendons in his hands twitched as he held them steady, moving them back and forth over Axel's hand. When he was finished Roxas sighed and held up his handy work. "Good job?" he asked. Axel looked at his fingers and nodded. "Not bad, champ."

Roxas smiled and turned around to the medical bag that Aerith had given to him, retrieving the Neosporin, Band-Aids, and anti-bacterial wipes. As he turned back around, Axel leaned in and kissed him on the neck without thinking. Roxas backed away with a sharp inhale of breath and nearly fell into the bath, but Axel shrank back and shook his head as Roxas bit his lip, clutching the supplies in his hands. "Roxas?" Axel murmured, glancing away. "I've made a decision. You might not like it, but maybe in a way, it's a good thing..." Roxas reached out, rubbed an anti-bacterial wipe over Axel's cuts as the man spoke. Then he put Neosporin and a Band-Aid over them, keeping his head down. Axel continued, "We can't just be 'friends' anymore." Roxas stopped moving for a moment, but then he continued with the Band-Aid, throwing the wrapper in the trash and putting the rest of the supplies away. Axel was hurt by the lack of response but he elaborated. "What I'm saying is- and don't take this the wrong way- it's either all or nothing. The same will go for me- take all of me or none of me. It's not selfish, it's sane," he added with hesitance, furrowing his brows at his own statement.

After waiting a minute for Roxas to respond, Axel stood up and turned to leave the bathroom. As he reached for the door handle, Roxas caught him by his sleeve and sat him back down. Axel tensed, preparing for Roxas' answer as the boy nodded. Then, the corner of Roxas' mouth twitched up, though he did not smile. "Axel," he began in a murmur. The man leaned in closer to hear what he was saying, his heart beating fast.

"I can't decide just yet," Roxas mumbled with averted eyes. "But can we hang out one more time before you try to separate us forever?" he whispered. Axel attempted to find hidden meaning in the words, but Roxas looked sincere and sad. Axel nodded. "Okay," he mumbled. "I can take you home on the train if you like," he added. Roxas shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows, glancing up at Axel and then away. "No, I'll go to your house," he mumbled. "Do you want me to come to your house?" he checked, but Axel nodded. He wondered if Roxas would try to bargain with him. "Just let me tell Aerith," the boy mumbled, stood up, and descended the stairs with Axel trailing behind. When he reached Aerith he thanked her for inviting them and handed her the medical aid box. Aerith raised her eyebrows as she put it away, frowning. "I thought you were going on a date with Xion tonight?" she inquired. Roxas blushed, shrugging and smiling. "Ventus and Naminé swept her off. She's been real busy today, she came late," he added quickly, looking back at Axel. "She's had a long day and I think she'd like some time with the girls," he added with a snicker. Axel snorted. "Be nice to your twin."

"It was only a joke," Roxas sighed, "Ventus would get it." Axel nodded, feeling a weight on him, but he shrugged it off and followed Roxas towards the door. Aerith jogged out after them in alarm. "Are you leaving so soon?" she barked. Roxas turned and nodded. "The rest of the party is gone, right?"

Aerith pursed her lips, but then smiled and waved to them. "Have a lovely night, I hope you all got enough to eat."

Axel clapped his hand to his forehead and grinned, blushing. Roxas waited for him as he shoveled some food onto a plate and picked up a small plastic fork to take along with him. "Could you hold my coke?" he asked Roxas, who nodded, standing by as Axel got his stuff together. Aerith stood by in silence until they were at the door, and she called everyone to say goodbye. Everyone hugged them and cheered them as they left, bar their party and Selphie and Sora, who had left early. As Axel and Roxas walked down the road, Axel scarfed down his food. "Aerith always cooks the best," he sighed, rubbing his stomach. Roxas nodded. He was still holding Axel's coke without complaint. Axel snorted. "My lapdog is quiet." Roxas glared at him before looking away. "I've just got a lot to worry about," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. Axel dumped his empty plate in the trashcan in front of the train station and blushed. "I'd pay for you, but this was unexpected." Roxas rolled his eyes and paid for his own ticket, and Axel set out the last of his cash for his own ride home. He drank his coke on the train, feeling bad for making Roxas hold his things.

"It may have been bad form taking the food," Axel muttered, to which Roxas snorted loudly. Axel had expected encouragement, so he turned to Roxas in indignation and folded his arms over his chest. "So, a date with Xion is old news?" He inquired and Roxas rolled his eyes. "It wasn't really a date. Naminé decided to come. I told Xion I wanted to hang with you and she understood," Roxas finished in a murmur. "She probably felt sorry for me after the way I acted," Axel chuckled, looking away. Roxas sighed.

"I didn't want you to feel like I didn't care about you after I left you on the road like that."

Axel looked at Roxas in shock. So Roxas wasn't mad at him. The boy's eyes flashed as he glanced away and the weight on Axel's heart grew as they disembarked the train to Disney City. Roxas talked about Ventus on the way home, about how he was trustworthy. Axel half listened. Thoughts of Roxas naked reentering his mind, and he made up hypothetical stories in his head for why Roxas had _really _wanted to come over. "Oh, here we are. My house is pretty close to the station," Axel sang as they went past the intersection that led to his street. Roxas looked up at the sky as the sun started to set and sighed. "This is beautiful," He murmured. Axel nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it's pretty impressive. I forgot I'd never taken you here." Roxas smiled to himself.

When they got inside Axel's house and he'd locked the front door behind them Axel called out to Lea, and then sighed. He was still at Isa's house. He decided to check his messages.

"_Isa said I could stay the night at his house again, so I'll probably have to come back tomorrow. His parents are getting worried for me. They say that I can stay as long as I want if I'm having troubles at home. So, yeah." _

Axel blew out a deep breath as the message played and Roxas listened behind him, frowning. When the message was done he examined Axel. "Why is he so nasty to you?" he asked. Axel grimaced, shrugging, "He likes to worry me," then he laughed, "He'd rather live with Reno."

Roxas looked confused. "Reno?" Axel nodded, furrowing his eyebrows and grinning.

"Yeah, my older brother, remember? Lea is practically in love with him. He wanted to live with Reno after our parents died but it's inconvenient. At least he's in the same school with the same friends."

Roxas' gaze was directed to the stairs. "What's your old room like?"

Axel shrugged, taking him up the stairs and opening the door to his old bedroom for him. "I've already put all my new stuff in it," Axel explained, regretting changing everything as he spoke. Roxas nodded as he walked around then he sat down on the bed. "It's still nostalgic," He murmured with a smile. Then, he hesitated, before lying down and closing his eyes tightly. The boy put his hands behind his head and rested on them, the hem of his shirt sliding up over his belly button. As Axel watched him feelings of lust crept into his mind, but the weight on his heart was so strong that it hung around his insides like stale air. He pursed his lips, folding his arms over his waist in discomfort before taking a deep breath and creeping over to the bed. In complete quiet, he climbed over Roxas, nudging the boy's legs apart and settling between them. As Roxas' eyes flung open, Axel lied down with his waist in between Roxas' thighs and told him to hush, but Roxas backed up to the back of the bed and sat up, narrowing his eyes.

"What are you doing?" he snapped and Axel scowled. Then the red head sat up and moved closer to Roxas, kissing his ear. "All of me or none of me. Decide now," he murmured, but Roxas did not respond, so Axel took it as a cue to keep going. He pulled Roxas' shirt off and trailed his tongue down the middle of his chest and stomach until he reached his hips. Roxas squirmed, trying to back up farther on the end of the bed, but Axel held his legs down and stroked the curves of his hipbones. _"Just a little longer, Roxas," _Axel thought to himself, _"just give me a chance." _His conversation about not being able to force love from Roxas left his mind when he unbuttoned Roxas' trousers and slid them down his stomach, watching as it rose and fell faster. Axel fumbled in the drawer beside his bed. When he returned to Roxas, the boy began to shake his head, but Axel shushed him and pulled his underwear down to his knees, checking Roxas' expression. But the boy still did not move. Axel took a deep breath and lowered his head between Roxas' legs, stroking the inside of the boy's thighs with shaking hands.

Roxas moaned and arched his back. Axel stroked Roxas' lower back and Roxas raised his thighs around Axel's head, grabbing his hair. He groaned as Axel moved his penis in and out of his mouth, and began to pant. Little beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Then, he gasped and grabbed Axel's hair harder. "Axel, I- I'm-!" he whimpered, and covered his mouth. Axel swallowed and coughed, and Roxas folded his hands around Axel's back, kissing him. "I'm sorry," He murmured, nuzzling his nose against Axel's. Axel gulped again. "Are you enjoying it now?"

Roxas didn't respond, but instead began to kiss Axel. Axel kissed Roxas back, holding the boy close as he took his underwear off completely. Then, he pushed the boy back down on the bed and looked from his head to his feet, scanning the boy's naked body with relish. "You're beautiful," he breathed, his eyes concentrated on Roxas' lower body. The boy looked away and blushed, and Axel hiked Roxas' hips up to his own and spread his legs apart farther. "This will hurt," he warned, kissing Roxas' forehead, "but I'll be gentle with you since it's your first time."

Roxas smiled a little, chuckling, "Are you going soft on me?" Axel grinned. "I can do whatever you want," he murmured, moving his hips back and forth against Roxas'. Roxas looked away again, shrugging, and Axel snickered. "I can be as mean as you want." He felt Roxas shiver and decided that he couldn't take it anymore. Axel unbuttoned his pants and inched closer to Roxas. Then, Roxas pulled away. "No, take all your clothes off," He whispered, shaking his head. "I don't want to be the only one naked." Axel sighed and nodded, taking his clothes off. The boy stared at him with excited breaths, reaching out and running his hands over Axel's torso in intrigue. His hands trailed over Axel's hips and against his thighs, and the man sighed as he pushed Roxas back down on the bed and lubricated his fingers. Then, he trailed them behind Roxas and pushed one finger in at a time. As he moved them Roxas' moaned, squirming back and forth with closed eyes. Axel removed his fingers and breathed out, staring at Roxas. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" he whispered, hoping for one answer. Roxas nodded, only half listening. His skin shone. Axel nodded to himself, held Roxas' hips, and pushed forward.

Ideas and pictures jammed into Axel's head that he could not wave away, distracting him and transporting half of his consciousness into a dream as the echoes of Roxas' moans reverberated in his head. Memories of joining Organization Thirteen and meeting Roxas for the first time fluttered into his mind, then becoming friends with him, meeting Xion, Roxas and Xion together, and then now. The voice crying out in front of him belonged to the friend he'd loved for years, but when Roxas opened his eyes, they shone and dilated like a cat's, stopping Axel's breath. The boy stared up at him as the corners of his mouth twitched up; curling into a wide smirk that narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose. "Ventus," Axel breathed, stopping his thrusting motions. He began to pull out in a daze, but Ventus grabbed Axel and sat up, kissing him. "It's okay!" he whispered, capturing Axel's lower lip in his own, running his tongue around the inside of the man's mouth as he snogged him. As Axel shook his head and pulled away from the boy, Ventus grabbed Axel's face in desperation and hurt. "No way are you pulling out!" he snarled. Then his face softened. "Why can't you just pretend?" Axel glanced at Ventus with furrowed brows, before turning his head down and grabbing the boy's hands, entwining his fingers with his own. They continued until Ventus' moans escalated into screams, and he arched his back with Axel and groaned, falling onto the bed as Axel collapsed over him.

There was silence as Axel regained his composure, sucking in deep breaths until they slowed to normal. Ventus watched him with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, until Axel stood up and mumbled that he was going to the bathroom. Ventus stayed behind as Axel picked his clothes up and left, propping himself up on the bed and looking out the window. When Axel closed the bathroom door behind him and threw his clothes to the side, he stepped into the bath and turned the shower dial until the water was almost scalding. He put his head under it and coiled his fingers into fists, flexing and relaxing his arms as he stared down at the drain. "FUCK!" he bellowed, snapping as he beat his fist into his open palm. Then he calmed down and closed his eyes, letting the water run over his head and down his body, spiraling down the drain in front of him. After finishing the shower Axel dried himself off and glanced in the mirror. Staring back at him was a soft edged pink version of himself, distorted. Axel threw his clothes on and went back into his bedroom, peeking inside first to see if Ventus was still there. He was.

The boy's arms were draped on the ledge of Axel's open window, his cheeks were pink, and his eyes were closed in calm. When Axel went towards him he opened one eye and smiled, sitting up and yawning. Axel scowled. "I thought you would have left by now," he muttered and Ventus' smile faded. "Is this how you treat your lovers?" the boy snorted, sitting back on the bed and folding his arms in front of him. Axel held up his hand and shook his head. "You are _not _a lover."

Ventus closed his mouth, hurt again, and jumped up and went to the bathroom while Axel went downstairs and sat on the couch, turning on the television. Fifteen minutes later, there was padding down the stairs, and Axel felt a wet kiss on his cheek. The water from Ventus' hair dripped over Axel's shirt and the man reeled back, folding his arms in front of him as he scowled. Ventus stared at his face in shock, furrowing his brows and shaking his head. "I thought," he whispered, touching Axel's shoulder, but his expression contorted into a grimace and he hissed, "you think I'm trash don't you?"

Axel looked up in alarm and rubbed his eyes in discomfort. "I'm very sorry," he mumbled. "It was a terrible mistake and it won't happen again."

"You continued," Ventus hissed, "you were so eager."

"That was because I was in the moment," Axel whined, but Ventus leaned in close to him. "You are jealous of me," he sneered, garnering Axel's complete attention. The man whipped around and grabbed Ventus by the face. "What?" he barked, and Ventus' eyes burned in their sockest as he stepped towards him, caressing the man's face between his palms. "You know I'm sleeping in the same bed as Roxas every night," he whispered, making Axel's eyes furrow in confusion, "I could touch him however I wanted and he wouldn't even notice it. You will _never _be able to do that."

Axel looked at him in horror before pushing the boy away from him and bounding off the couch, towards the front door. "You're a sick brat," he spat, throwing the door open and pointing towards it. Ventus stood still looking from the door to Axel in desperation. "I'm not the only one!" he whimpered, tears coming into his eyes. "You took advantage of me! I just helped fulfill your biggest fucking fantasy!" he added in a roar, and Axel jumped and shut the front door, peering out the window to see if any of the neighbors heard. No one was out, and Axel breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to Ventus and folding his arms in front of him. "You were smiling by the end, Ventus," he muttered, refusing to look at the boy, who narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Would Roxas have?" in return. There was silence again as the boy pointed at Axel, whispering, "I am not the only bad guy." A silent standoff commenced, before Axel relented and walked away from the door with folded arms. "You shouldn't go home after dark," Axel mumbled, scratching his head in embarrassment. "But tomorrow morning you should be fine. Sleep wherever you want."

"You know someday karma's going to bite you in the ass," Ventus drawled, moving up the stairs. Axel snorted, shaking his head and ignoring the boy. After a few moments, though, claustrophobia over took him, and he stepped outside and went for a walk. He locked the door behind and pulled his jacked about him as he cleared the front lawn, shivering from the night chill. Once Axel jogged down to the end of his street he peered towards the woods that held the little gulley he and Saix played in as children. He walked towards the site, humming to himself as he became aware of his surroundings, realizing that he was stepping a few feet away from the stop sign. He chuckled as he walked towards it, patting its side with affection. He'd thrown up under it a few years ago. Axel examined the ground beneath him to see if there were any traces of the stuff left over, but it was gone. It might as well have been a dream. Axel exhaled and relaxed, plunking down under the sign and picking up the smooth stones that littered the curb. He flung them across the road, pondering the feeling of foreboding that had hung with him the past few days. Perhaps Ventus was right.

"He didn't say no!" Axel reasoned with the sign. Then he frowned as he remembered Roxas' reaction in the wedding hall. "I stopped the last time!" he barked, folding his hands together. "I wouldn't have continued if he didn't like it." Then he wondered if his heart knew it was Ventus earlier on. "But that makes it even worse," he mumbled to himself. He ruffled up his hair and shook his head, standing up and patting the sign goodbye. Then he returned home, humming along the way. The streets scared him at night, a fear left over from walking alone in the City That Never Was. When he reached his house he noticed that the door was unlocked. He called out Ventus' name, but there was no reply. When he checked his room he saw that no one was there, but the sheets were off the bed. He scratched his head and looked around for them, poking his head into the basement and noticing a heap of them in front of the washing machine. He looked down in guilt, rubbing his eyes as he turned and trudged upstairs to his room.

At the last minute, Axel decided against his bed and went instead into his parent's old bedroom. The rocking chair still sat in the corner with the pillow his grandmother had made. Everything was the same. He remembered his mother rocking him to sleep in that chair when he was little. But it was just fragments of a memory, a silent blur. He fell into the chair and rocked back and forth, the guilt creeping through him, embarrassing him. But soon he was able to fall asleep. This was the only room in the house where the gentle past held dominion.


	5. A Coming Storm

Xemnas lied in his cell, staring at the concrete ceiling above his head. This confine had been his home for over three years. While all of his Organization Thirteen accomplices had weaseled out of long jail sentences, Xemnas would be forced to wait three more years before he could even dream of open air. "Half way there," he murmured with a chuckle, and began to close his eyes.

There was a slam on the compound doors, and footsteps thumped towards his cell, reverberating. As Xemnas peered out from between the bars of his enclosement he noticed that the walking guards were creeping towards him. He stepped back as his door was unlocked and he was cuffed. "You have someone here who wants to speak with you," growled one as they hauled Xemnas out of his cell and towards the door. He was brought into a long hallway that led to the visitation room overlooking the prison's courtyard and gated entrance. As they entered the room, Xemnas' eyes drifted from the windows to the various prisoners that spoke with their guests at open green tables lining the walls. Xemnas' gaze was attracted to a bald headed man seated at the far end of the room near the entrance, and his shoulders bristled as the elderly man glanced at him and narrowed his eyes. It was his father.

The man was tan, like Xemnas, with piercing dark rimmed yellow eyes, but his facial hair and clothing were meticulously tailored. The dust that settled over everything in the room glanced off his person and floated aimlessly, reflected in the sun's rays. Xemnas' father watched as his son was led towards him by the police, who seated him, uncuffed him, and departed to the other side of the room to deal with another inmate. The old man in front of Xemnas grimaced, as his grip tightened on the end of his cane. "You should have greeted me before you sat down and waited for me to tell you to be seated," He murmured, "You have still failed to learn respect." The voice that had haunted Xemnas all his life, that sound of gravel rolling back and forth in a cushioned box, still made Xemnas afraid. "I apologize," tried the prisoner, standing up, but his father shook his head. "This is no lesson, boy. Sit down." Xemnas did so, and his father watched him.

"Xemnas, why do you think I have come here?" he continued.

"I cannot fathom it, sir," Xemnas replied, and his father cleared his throat, the gravel rolling again. "I came to help you," he murmured. Xemnas furrowed his brows in confusion. Three years ago, before he had been sent to jail, his father had spat upon him, telling him he was no longer his son. But now, here he was, willing to help.

"After the mess you made of things, after I paid for the beginning of your operation and you threw it back in my face, I was enraged," explained the old man, "I did not see it fit to associate myself with such a traitor. And to think, _you _would inherit my empire!" he added, chuckling. "But, I cannot let my only son rot in jail, that would make me a bad father. So I am willing to help you."

Xemnas smiled in spite of himself and wove his fingers together. "How do you intend to do that, father?" he murmured, "My case is iron shut." His father chortled and folded a hand over his chest, indicating with the other. "But are all of your cohorts?" asked the old man, then murmured, "it seems as though the eighth member, Axel, has a tainted history that we can use to our advantage."

"But he turned us in, father," Xemnas replied in a sigh, "they would not condemn their only witness."

"He is not their witness any longer," growled his father, gripping his cane and leaning forward, his eyes piercing into Xemnas' as he spoke. "We have hunted for loose ends the state failed to mention in the case concerning the red head. He was a good friend of the first convicted, Xion. He was friendly with the Castle Oblivion employees and yourself and Saix, yet he turned on you all in the blink of an eye," hissed the man, his eyes shining. "How can the state afford to continue supporting such filth if _I _go up against him? They do not need him anymore."

"But they would not abandon him," replied Xemnas. His father chuckled, rubbing his bald scalp. "Xemnas, you know little of the bureau," muttered the old man. "They will use anything to catch their victims, and fling away those used just as fast."

Xemnas pondered it, adding, "He did know a lot of personal information pertaining to the company."

His father smiled, but Xemnas shook his head, his strange respect for Axel hindering his decision to cheat him. It did not seem correct to turn him in. Axel had always been uncatchable. Though, Axel had himself cheated countless times to slip out of blame. Xemnas glanced out the wide window that lined the adjacent wall, staring towards the entrance of the prison and wondering how it felt to walk free. His father scrutinized his movements in silence, but spoke as Xemnas sighed. "Do you want my help?" asked his father. Xemnas hesitated before nodding, standing up, and bowing. "Yes, of course," he murmured, "Thank you father." The warden lumbered over to tap him on the shoulder and Xemnas nodded, bowing once more to his father before stepping away from his chair and following the warden back to his cell. As his son left, Xemnas' father lingered, glancing at the painted green walls surrounding him before standing and exiting the building with his eyes held forward.

Once he pushed through the front double doors out of the prison, he pulled his coat about him to escape the chill that penetrated despite the ensuing summer. Forsaken lifeless trees littered the area around the correctional facility, flaccid with exhaustion and dehydration, but a few held tightly to the mangy little buds dotting their limbs. The old man tutted as he passed, tapping his cane on the ground in irritation as he searched for his car. The sound of a revving engine caught his attention, and as the old man peered out over the landscape he saw a black car swerving out from the car park towards him. It turned in front of the building and stopped before his outstretched cane, the chauffer throwing the book he had been reading to the passenger seat as he jumped out from the driver's side. The young man trotted around the car, opened the back passenger door, and let the old man inside before returning to his own seat and starting the engine.

"What book distracted you from meeting me on time?" murmured the old man and his chauffer bristled, before cooling. "The Stranger," he replied, causing the old man to chuckle and sigh, "Interesting," before rubbing his eyes. The chauffer scanned the road through dark red-rimmed sunglasses, waiting for the barbed wire gates ahead to slide away so that their car could exit the compound. The steel frames heaved to the sides as the officer manning the entrance pressed the green button that pulled them apart. Until there was ample space to escape between the metal barbed doors, the old man's car inched forward in earnest. But when the space cleared, the engine revved again and the car sped forward, out onto the main road leading down the mountain. The peaks of the building blurred behind the car, and as they disappeared the chauffer let out a sigh of relief and loosened his hold on the wheel, relaxing his shoulders. His master snapped his fingers behind to facilitate his memory and sighed when his thought came to him. "I have grown tired of our companionship with Shinra and of Hojo," he explained, "He is weak and stubborn. If he slips again and directs attention from the bureau, he will take blame for our operation," added the old man, furrowing his brows and touching his forefinger to his chin. "The cogs are in place to insert Sephiroth as head of Shinra, and our plan will fit nicely with his plight for revenge. Our target will be in Midgar this week. We strike then."

His chauffer gripped the wheel and nodded, peering in the rearview mirror and then back onto the road. "How is your son?" he chanced, but his master snorted. "He has not changed," murmured the bald man, chuckling and leaning back in his seat. But he sighed, "I will use him in any way I can," adding, "And I must be good to my remaining offspring. I will soon prove sonless if I do not forgive him."

The chauffer's head snapped up at this. "Who is your son now, if he is not?" The old man pursed his lips at this and grinned at the chauffer, patting the young man's shoulder. "That is not a problem for your mind to think on. You have a job to carry out and you shall see to it that it is done right."

The chauffer's nostrils flared and he nodded, gripping the wheel again. But this time, he did not relax. He exited the road and merged with the highway that would lead them closer to the Land That Never Was, wondering if the old man had meant him.

…

Reno sat at his desk, taking his office in with pride. He had been promoted to Chief Inspector of the Midgar and Surrounding Cities Criminal Investigative Division of the Investigation Bureau over half a year ago, but by no means had he stopped gloating. Reno's branch of the Division had its own building stationed on the outskirts of Midgar. According to Shinra, the ruling organization in the city, Reno's division did not have the 'credentials' to get a building _in _Midgar, but Reno and most of the other employees knew the true reason for the company's concern.

Shinra Electric was getting nervous.

Four years ago, under the direction of King Mickey, the Investigation Bureau had perfected its plan to create a 'special unit' of the Division that would concentrate on the criminal affairs within and around Midgar. But all cases led back to the same place. Shinra Electric. It seemed as if every one of Midgar's top crooks had some affiliation with the syndicate. Shinra's security and 'crime' unit, The Turks, had opposed the installment of the new Bureau building, but when the Bureau proposed an alliance between the two organizations, Shinra Electric fell silent.

The main headquarters for the Bureau was in The Land of Departure, represented in King Mickey's monthly meetings with the other mayors of each city within their region's borders. King Mickey originally created the Investigation Bureau for Disney City. Then, surrounding cities began using it. After the trouble with the Land of Departure University ten years before, the Bureau became the official investigational unit for the whole region. Their new headquarters was built in the ruins of The Land of Departure and their old headquarters in Disney Castle became a library. But, excluding the Land That Never Was, Mickey's region had a very low crime rate. The mayor of the Land That Never Was, who had hindered the Bureau's creation of a unit within the city for years, had been thwarted, and Reno estimated that within twelve months a unit would be stationed in the building opposite the mayoral office in the center of the city.

Reno knew the crime in the Land That Never Was and in his region was connected in some way. The Land That Never Was directly bordered the region that Reno lived in, and it seemed that one elusive figure controlled all of it. An Investigation unit as close to Shinra Electric as possible was vital. And Reno had now been placed the lead of a seminal case, a case the Investigation Bureau hoped would change the course of crime culture.

The change in habitat was a relief to him. Reno had joined the Bureau after his father died, feeling it was the best way to repent for killing so many civilians as a Turk. When he applied to the Turk's head office for permanent leave it was granted through the support of Hojo, who reasoned with President Shinra. Reno did not know the exact words exchanged between them but he had a feeling it had something to do with an outside affiliation of the organization. Perhaps Hojo had convinced the president to let Reno leave to prove to the world that Shinra had nothing to hide. But Shinra didhave something to hide, and now the person that they had let go was trying to expose their secret.

Reno chuckled at the thought; not letting the fact that he was incredibly lucky sink in. He had applied for _this _higher position not expecting to get it. But he got it, though he was on thin ice because of his previous employment. He had been working on the Hojo case since he joined the Bureau as a mere detective, but now that he was a chief investigator he'd acquired more power than he ever could have dreamed. And now he held his own case in the palm of his hand.

Reno noticed a flicker of movement through the window blinds that peeked onto the area outside of his office. Then there was a knock on the door and one of the junior investigators shuffled in.

"So, Kid," drawled Reno, swiveling his chair around and setting the tips of his fingers against each other before adding, "What's up? Are they here yet?" to which the young man sighed and nodded. Reno frowned. "And?" he asked, encouraging Kid to elaborate.

"She's beautiful," sighed Kid in response while Reno held back a laugh and mumbled, "Well then, bring her in."

Kid nodded and opened the door, murmuring that the Chief Inspector was ready to see her. The woman standing outside returned a curt 'thank you' and marched inside the office, standing in front of Reno's desk and looking around. Reno tried not to gape, but Kid's description wasn't far off the mark.

The woman before him had striking pink hair that framed her face and curled around her left shoulder, with light rosy skin contrasting her cold eyes. Her outfit was military. Reno sat gob struck, until he was able to pull himself together. "Excuse me," he muttered, lowering his head, and coughed to break the silence. Then he stood up and shook the woman's hand. "Hello I'm Reno, Chief Inspector-"

"I read your files on the way here," interjected the woman, avoiding the hand Reno had just coughed into. "You were a former Turk?" she inquired. Reno shrugged, attempting a mysterious air. "Yeah, but, that's between Shinra and me," He murmured, setting his foot on his swivel chair and his elbow atop his thigh. As he did so, the wheeled chair veered to the right and Reno teetered. But he tried to play it off as if he was surfing with one foot in the water and the other on the chair, holding his hands out to affect balance. The woman before him raised an eyebrow, perplexed in a non-amused way. "So you are voluntarily withholding information?" she snapped in response to Reno's previous comment, making Reno narrow his eyes at her before hopping off his chair and shuffling through the data on his desk.

"I'm impressed in your studies," he drawled, picking up a file and turning it the right side up. It turned out to be his shopping list, but he pretended to read through it. Lightning nodded, continuing to examine the office as she corrected, "You mean in Bodhum?" Her eyes fell against a picture of Reno and his old friend Rude, another Turk, and her lips curled in suspicion as every bug in the room harmonized while Reno searched his mind for an answer to her question. "The light brand?" He tried. The woman pursed her lips.

"No. Bodhum, as in my hometown."

"Ah," Reno snapped his fingers, chuckling in affirmation. "Ah of course, _that _Bodhum. The one in?"

"It's in Pulse," replied the woman. Reno had never been good at geography. "Pulse," he mumbled, tapping his finger to the area between his upper lip and nose. He decided to make a joke, and began to beat his hand on his chest in a heartbeat rhythm. "It is on the Northeast border of Planet, your region," the woman elaborated, pointing in its direction relative to Midgar.

"Yes, I know what _region _I live in," snapped Reno in return. As the woman cleared her throat and prepared to introduce herself, Reno decided she had unattractive lines on the sides of her mouth.

"My Name is Lightning Faron," she began. "I was born in Bodhum and attended the military institute in…then I began to seek…after this award I…"

Reno nodded, attempting to _act _attentive. Then, he remembered that Kid was supposed to have gotten him her file before she came in. He began to hunt around for the paperwork as she continued speaking, but Lightning stopped her spiel, seething, "what are you doing?" as Reno shrugged and punched the intercom button on his desk. "Kid, the file," He shouted into the device, but his voice blared back at him through the speaker in his office. Reno yelped and Lightning jumped.

"Fu-!" began Reno, but he sucked in a deep breath before he could finish the word and ripped the intercom cord out of the wall, carrying the device with him into the open office. He trudged over to Kid and slammed the intercom down on his desk, causing all of the other detectives to look up at him in curiosity. Lightning leaned against his office door, watching as Reno jabbed his finger onto the machine's metal frame. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?" announced the chief investigator, glaring from one detective to the next with narrowed eyes. Kid stared at him and shrugged, so Reno grabbed the young man's thermos and shoved him out of his chair. Then, Reno stood on the chair and used the intercom to tap the thermos and get everyone's attention.

"Excuse me, excuse me," he shouted, making everyone glance up at him. Reno held up the intercom. "At approximately three o'clock in the afternoon, I pressed the intercom button to get Kid's attention. The intercom blared back at me, and it almost made me go deaf. Can someone please tell me what the hell happened?" One of the men in the back raised his hand and Reno pointed to him. "Yes, Max, report," barked the red head, standing up straight.

"Is your intercom hooked up to the speaker in your room? It's supposed to be hooked up to the speaker out here," The man drawled. There was silence. Reno looked around before throwing his arms up in the air.

"I'm trying to save chord!" he cried, "We can't just go around throwing money left right and center! It's wasteful! It's littering the ground with wires and plugs, and before we know it we'll be swamped in electric bills!" wailed the chief inspector. Lightning looked on as Reno ranted about all the electric appliances in the room, before he returned to the speaker, trailing off. Then he scratched his head in confusion. "So... why did I try to use the intercom?" asked Reno.

"You were looking for a file," Lighting responded.

"Yes, yes, of course I was, of course I was!" Reno bellowed in response, and then paused before clapping his hands and shouting, "Back to work everyone, we're catching crooks down here, not flies!" The investigators bent back towards their computers unfazed and Reno chuckled, pointing towards them as he turned back to Lightning with rolled eyes. "Incompetency at its finest, huh?" He chuckled, but Lightning did not respond. Seconds later Kid brought in Lightning's file and set it on Reno's desk. Reno began to read it as Lightning sat down in front of him. "You fought in a war?" mumbled the red head. Lightning nodded, sighing, "An epilogue to the War of Transgression, or perhaps the War of Transgression was the prologue. Pulse and Cocoon tricked into battling one another."

"Cocoon?" murmured Reno in response, and Lighting nodded again. "Our region's official name is Pulse. Cocoon is an independent city within. The area outside of Cocoon is officially called _Gran Pulse_."

Reno recalled hearing about the War of Transgression in his high school history class. There was a group of people called fal'Cie that the inhabitants of Pulse worshipped as gods. Then the inhabitants of Gran Pulse attacked the people of Cocoon, and something else. Reno scanned further down the page and stopped on a few words, raising his eyebrows. "Your real name is Claire Farron?" he asked, making Lightning cringe. "I didn't know they still put my birth name on my files. That is irritating."

Reno looked up at her. "Why'd you change it?"

"That is none of your business," snapped Lightning in reply, and Reno chuckled and shook his head, setting the file in front of him. At times, he couldn't understand women. Four or five tiny little words, one little sentence, could cause a catastrophic turn back, and a whole quarter of an hour of conversational progress was thrown in the trash. Reno thought he had been doing well up until this point. He closed Lightning's paperwork and stood up as she did, smiling at her and folding his hands behind his back.

"I think you and me should go out for a drink," blurted out Reno, "Get to know each other before we start into this nasty corruption case," he added with a wink, but Lightning pursed her lips. She closed her eyes, waited, and then cleared her throat.

"Thank you, but no thank you," She finally responded. "We are professional partners, not drinking buddies. I am eager to begin working on the case. The longer we waste time attempting to be friends the more time we lose figuring out what Shinra Electric is up to."

"What experience do you have with government corruption?" sulked Reno in response.

"I exposed centuries of corruption through the fal'Cie and the corrupt government of Cocoon, the Sanctum," Lightning snipped back, "I made sacrifices, I was forced to abandon my family, and I survived. Is that appropriate experience or should I have joined the Sanctum and then decided to switch sides when things turned out of my favor?"

Reno snorted, chortling, "Alright, slow down there, missy," worried at where Lightning was going with her speech.

"I wonder at the reason you were appointed to this case, sir," derided Lightning in reply. "Someone so uncouth entrusted with so much. I really wonder."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Reno exclaimed. Lightning's face was stone.

"You worked for the people this company is investigating. The fact that this unit did not allow their Chief Investigator to handle this case alone and the fact that they brought in a person like _me _to assist means that they do not trust you. Why would they, seeing as you are the only Turk that has ever escaped Shinra alive? You may be an expensive witness but I do not trust you. Even your 'stupid' act is blatantly obvious," she added with disdain. Reno's mouth fell open and he touched his chest in response to the wound, finally spitting, "I don't trust you, either!" causing Lightning to narrow her eyes and murmur, "If you ever feel the need to switch sides, just hand the case to me."

Reno panted, gaping for lack of words. "What makes you so sure that you won't slip up?" He leered.

"I have learned from my mistakes," shouted Lightning in response. Then, she closed her eyes. "We start the investigation tomorrow. My research is done. If we are cooperating we will compile individual findings tomorrow," Lightning finished as she filed out of the room.

"I hope you help me solve this case," snapped Reno in return, jumping up, but Lightning ignored him as she strode past the desks outside Reno's office and out the door. His colleagues stared after her as she left, and then at Reno. Kid shook his head. "The air's intense, Reno. What happened in there?"

"Listen up," Reno barked, pointing at everyone in the workplace. "I want all the research we've got on Shinra Electric. I'll compile everything I know, and then we'll organize the best way to write this out in order to show our lovely lady tomorrow."

"Does this mean we're in for an all-nighter?" complained a voice from the back.

"You bet your ass we are," replied Reno with a wide grin. "I'm not gonna have this pink haired floozy show me up! And I would stress the same for all of you, too! Take pride in your manliness, your honor, your pride!" Reno preached, feeling empowered. The men around him looked on dully, and a hand rose in the back of the room.

"Yes, Max. What almighty knowledge will you impart on us this time?" sighed the Chief inspector, and Max lowered his hand. "If I don't care about this pride stuff can I go home?"

Reno punched his fist onto Kid's desk, pointing at Max with an intense glare. "Hell, no! If you have no pride I'll have pride for you. Let's begin!"

Everyone groaned but got to work, and Reno ran back to his office, searching files on his computer and pulling up old Shinra programs that he had forgotten to erase. Most of them were useless things like recipes and music, and other 'recreational' files he had created at Shinra to avoid work. He'd delete it all before Lightning could see it, of course. He wanted to appear as professional as possible, to make her trust him. After failing to find any useful files he started to type down names and programs from Shinra that he remembered, codes and the like.

Reno had a great memory, so it was set to be a long night.

…

Demyx and Kairi sat on the floor laughing together and listening to music. It was one of the few free afternoons they had together after first getting their record deal. They had a month before they started their next album. Kairi looked at Demyx with fondness, humming the words to her favorite song. Then, Demyx put his hand around Kairi's shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Well," He murmured. Kairi smiled. "Well, what?"

Demyx shrugged. He began to kiss her on the neck, and Kairi pushed him down on the ground and lay beside him, playing with the buttons on his shirt. Demyx shrugged. "I was just thinking about how pretty you are," He sighed as Kairi undid his shirt. "Are you trying to butter me up?" laughed Kairi in response.

Demyx smiled and picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom and laying her down over the covers. She put her arms up over her head and raised her chin. Then she giggled. "You look like a Cheshire cat," Kairi cooed, running her fingers along the outline of Demyx' face, which was crinkled with a huge grin. Demyx laughed. Then he became quiet as he reached his fingers under the hem of her shirt, pulling it up over her chest as he leaned towards her bare breasts. But Kairi snorted and folded her hands in front of her, thwarting him. "Hey, now," she mumbled, suddenly self- conscious. Demyx raised an eyebrow, before chuckling and lifting her hands away from her front, wrapping them around his neck instead. Then he rested his head on Kairi's breasts and kissed one of her nipples, smiling up at her. She blushed and looked away.

"You're pretty." He whispered, running his lips down her neck and over her collarbone. Kairi chuckled. "Don't be predictable," she muttered, biting her lip. Demyx grinned at her. Then he bounded up until he was standing about a foot away from the bed, and ripped his pants and underwear off, flinging them to the side. Kairi yelped, dodging to the left when he tried to pounce on her.

As Demyx wrestled with the mountain of pillows that had fallen over him in his failed attack, Kairi barked, "What the hell?" covering herself again. Demyx looked puzzled. "I'm being sexy," He barked, scratching his thigh and flinging a pillow to the floor. Kairi rolled her eyes.

Demyx stared at her, before sighing and rolling over onto his stomach, using his elbows to prop himself up. "What do you want to do?" He muttered, and Kairi glanced over his chest and blushed, making Demyx grin again. "Oh, so you want to check me out?" He snickered, spreading his legs out. Kairi gaped and threw a pillow at him, but he caught it easily and lied down again, folding his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. Kairi followed with her eyes the way his chest moved when he breathed. Then, her eyes trailed down to his stomach, and the line of hair that led from his belly button to his groin. Demyx' eyelashes fluttered as he snuck a peek at Kairi. When he noticed where she was looking, though, he blushed, mouthing 'oh'. Kairi examined his expression with curiosity, before clearing her throat.

"Being an only child, having a maid to wash me and clean me and feed me when I was tiny made me kind of oblivious," murmured the girl. Then her face brightened with memories. "I remember I wasn't allowed sit at the same dinner table as my parents till I was twelve, and I couldn't talk."

Demyx looked around the room. Their apartmentwas in Port Royale, a centuries old seaport that transformed into the new center for the film and music industry in the region. This was the base of Kairi and Demyx's band. "You know you're still living in a port town, still by the ocean," explained the man; "We couldn't separate you completely from your home." He smiled at her, and Kairi nodded.

"You're right. Oh, and there was something else," She added. Demyx glanced over at her again, inquiring, "What would that be?" Kairi shrugged before grinning. "I'd never seen a penis till yours."

Demyx stared at her a moment, but then he laughed, rolling over onto his stomach and wrapping his arms around Kairi's waist. "You're cute." He snickered. Kairi snuggled in beside him and blew in his ear, making him laugh harder. Then he lied down with his hands folded behind his head and closed his eyes, spreading his legs out again. When he peeked again, he caught Kairi as she stole a sideways glance at him. His eyes shone as he grinned wider and held up his hand. "We're on the brink. I've been joking around up until now but I don't like being pushed far. Either we go through with it or not," he added, indicating his hand for Kairi to take. Kairi felt uncomfortable, raising her eyebrows. Then, she cooed, "Make me feel like a princess," to which Demyx snorted. "Alright, alright," he murmured.

Kairi smiled and slipped her hand into Demyx's palm. Then, he grinned at her and kissed her again, slipping his arms behind her back and holding her close to him. Kairi sighed as he began to run his lips over her collarbone. He glanced his fingers up and down her back, stroking her hips, but Kairi's hands balled into fists from indecision. Demyx looked down at them, before returning his gaze to Kairi's face. "I'm gonna eat you," he whispered, moving his eyebrows up and down and nibbling Kairi's nipples through a crooked grin. Kairi giggled and rested her hands on the back of his head. "You're such a creep," she murmured. Demyx moved his hand down to her belly button, trailing circles around it while he kissed her neck.

"Is it alright if I touch you?" He breathed, as his fingers went down between her thighs. Kairi's head swam, but she nodded. Demyx let his fingers trail between her legs, but then he massaged her gently. "Could you kiss me now?" gulped Kairi, and Demyx nodded, letting his nose touch hers before his lips met her own.

A strange sound escaped her throat, and she put her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in embarrassment. But in reply Demyx laughed and shook his head, whispering, "It's okay, Kairi. It's alright." Kairi closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing while Demyx massaged her. Then she leaned into his ear and breathed, "I'm ready."

Demyx glanced at her with raised brows, and then nodded, leaning over the side of the bed and pulling a condom out of his pants pocket. Then he hunted around under the bed for lubricant. Kairi rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you have thought of this before?" she muttered, but Demyx ignored her and hummed until he located it and snuggled back beside her, hugging her close to him. "I'm going to go in," he whispered, looking into her eyes, and Kairi shut hers tight and blushed. Then, Demyx took a deep breath, and Kairi heard a ringtone.

"Your phone," she muttered, but Demyx ignored it. "YOUR PHONE!" she whined, and Demyx cursed as she kicked him off her and answered it.

"Hello?" She croaked.

"Hello, darling!" their manager drawled. "I'm jacking off," Demyx barked and Kairi covered the phone as he trudged to the bathroom.

"Demyx isn't here right now," she mumbled.

"Oh, pity, pity… have any good sex lately?"

"Uh..." faltered Kairi, playing with the tips of her hair.

"Back to what you were gesticulator-ing to... the fact that you are sharing an apartment with a man that you say you love- has nothing to do with whom you are sleeping with… and quite frankly you can sleep with who-so-ever you please, and still have this so-called 'boyfriend' so long as you don't get caught…"

"What?" responded Kairi flatly.

"Lovey, I'm not tryin' to argue, I'm just stating a fact of the matter."

"Demyx is out of the shower. You can talk to him now." Kairi interjected, and their manager snorted. "Oh, so the jacker in the backer was the man in question."

Kairi brought the phone out to Demyx, muttering that it was Jack. With a replying scowl he swiped the phone from her hands and trudged over to their office space, muttering as he set the phone to his ear and spoke into it. After a few minutes he returned and put the device on the bedside table, drumming his fingers on its surface. "What was he saying?" Kairi ventured, but Demyx shrugged.

"Oh, just the party to celebrate our new single. Lots of people to impress."

Kairi nodded and rubbed her temple. But Demyx smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "Sometimes I forget that you're still a baby," he sulked, throwing a shirt on. Kairi gaped at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not a baby!"

"You're a scaredy cat," sang Demyx, still sulking. Kairi blushed, replying in defense that she was answering an important call. "Oh, so we can do it now?" Demyx shot back, grinning widely. There was a moment of pause before Kairi ran for her clothes as Demyx lunged at her. She screamed with delight as she bounded into the living room and threw her dress over her head and pulled the door open, almost closing it when Demyx caught her by the face and kissed her. "You forgot your underwear," he whispered, twirling them on his forefinger, but Kairi snatched them from him and slipped them on before he could relinquish them. Cursing, he whined, "come on Kairi, we were so close. Don't leave me like this!" but the girl laughed, replying that they were out of milk.

"Get it later!" groaned Demyx. Kairi kissed him on the nose, but broke out of his grasp, running down the pathway.

"I'll be twice as dangerous when you get back now that you'll have left me waiting!" Demyx called after her, but Kairi blew a kiss at him as she strolled down the lane to their local grocer's. Her hands still shook by the time she reached the supermarket, and she held them out in front of her and examined them trembling as she went for the door. A bell rang inside when she opened it, but she skipped straight to the dairy section in her hunt for milk. When she located it she stood in line for the register.

As she waited, a couple of young girls came over and asked for her autograph. She beamed as she signed them. "Whom may I make these out to?" cooed Kairi, and the girls giggled. "Mary and Daniela," one of them gushed, and Kairi signed their autograph and they left in a fit of excited laughter. Only then did Kairi notice an older woman clad in green standing nearby, staring at her. For a minute Kairi ignored the elderly lady in discomfort, but when the stare continued to bore into her Kairi took initiative and turned. The two met eyes, but as Kairi waved in defiance, the woman began to walk towards her, holding her gaze. It made Kairi anxious. When they were mere inches apart from each other, the lady in green smiled, and Kairi smiled back, chirping, "Hey, granny," before she added, "I don't suppose you want an autograph," with a smile. The old woman's hand reached out and settled against the crook of Kairi's arm, holding it with a firm grip as Kairi's nervousness mounted to an inexplicable level. Just as the lady was about to speak, a middle-aged woman in blue rounded the aisle at their side and gasped, hurrying over and prying the green clad lady away from Kairi. "She's a character," snapped the blue clad woman with a defensive smile, "such interest shocks a lot of people."

"She's fine!" exclaimed Kairi in exaggerated response, adding, "She seems very sweet," with gentle care. To this, the woman in blue softened and held her green dressed companion's shoulders, leading her out of the store. "Come on, Fauny, let's go."

As the woman passed by Kairi, she touched her hand and whispered, "You have such a strong light about you." Then she stopped, before adding, "Protect it." With finality her blue dressed companion pried the woman away from Kairi, and the bell that signaled the exit and entrance of customers rang as Kairi continued towards the register in a daze, her milk clutched in her arms.


	6. Nightmare

Aerith poked around the chips and crackers aisle of the grocery store trying to find a perfect match for the dip she had concocted the night before. When she located a reasonable candidate she turned to Yuffie and held up the bag of flavored chips.

"The dip's kind of creamy," explained the woman in serious decision, "so I feel like something tangier would suit it really well."

"Who're you talking to, Aerith?" barked Yuffie in reply, and Aerith sighed, shoving the bag of chips she was holding back on the shelf as she muttered "I'm talking to you, Yuffie." Yuffie folded her arms over her chest and pouted, piping up, "Then maybe instead of making a general announcement, you could ask me a question!" as Aerith moved further down the aisle.

"Why are you so irritable, Yuffie?" asked Aerith in return. "Is something going on with Loz?" Defeated, Yuffie threw her arms in the air and gave a mighty sigh, wailing, "Loz and I are fighting!" to which Aerith rolled her eyes.

"Yuffie" breathed the woman in a calm tone of voice, "It is perfectly normal for couples to fight. As long as that isn't the_ only_ thing you are doing." As Aerith said this Yuffie shook her head and sighed again. "When I'm nasty to him he just sits like a stone and takes it! He doesn't ignore me either, so I feel like he's just going to explode one day and go nuts! Or cry!" she added, elaborating, "I'd feel really mean, then! I just want him to tell me what's wrong, you know?" By the time Yuffie finished she was panting, but Aerith stood quiet with thought.

"You know, people with pasts have the tendency to clam up when people ask them what's wrong," she replied finally. "When they want to be left alone what they _really _want is to be held, but it takes time to build trust. He just needs time."

Yuffie nodded at this, pondering before beaming. "Yeah, it's like forcing information out of someone, right? I'd be the bad guy! But if I'm nice about it… I'm the good guy! So I've gotta trick him into telling me what's wrong!"

"Uh, Yuffie -"

"-No, no, I get it," Yuffie reassured her. Though she pursed her lips, Aerith decided to let it go, and instead returned her attention to the chips. "I think that these sea salt paopu chips would go well."

Yuffie groaned. "What is it with the salty- and- sweet deal? Can't we just get some Mako chips?"

"Mako chips are the most unadventurous chips ever created," murmured Aerith with a frown. "They're dangerously over-processed and filled with sodium."

"That's what makes them so good!" exclaimed Yuffie in return, picking up a bag and hugging it to herself.

"Then it's decided," Aerith snapped. "Sea salt paopu chips are on the menu tonight." As Aerith said this Yuffie groaned louder, rocking the bag of Mako chips in her arms and kissing the top of it. "Don't worry my love!" She cooed to the bag, fake- glaring at Aerith. "Ms. Organic doesn't know what fine dining is…"

"I would rather support local sellers than some conglomeration in Midgar," Aerith snapped back, but Yuffie stuck out her tongue at her, muttering, "I wasn't talking to you, party pooper!" while she shoved the bag of Mako chips back on the shelf. As they walked towards the checkout aisles, Yuffie eyed Aerith's chips with disdain.

"How do you think Zack would feel if he knew you were having an affair with a bag of paopu chips? Ah, going with the silent treatment, are we?" added Yuffie when Aerith pursed her lips in reply. "Admit it. You are having a passionate relationship with Organic foods. You can't have two lovers at once, Aerith. It's either Zack and Mako, or no Zack and paopu. And just who is that 'local seller' you're so keen on supporting, huh?" Yuffie went on, grinning at Aerith, who narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"I have many passions. But I have one lover," the woman finally cooed, emptying the contents of their cart onto the self-checkout lane. Bored, Yuffie poked around the sweets section nearby, and when she found a candy bar she liked, she slipped it into her pocket and patted it gently as she returned to her friend. When Aerith finished checking out she helped her with the bags, and they both strolled out of the grocers with full arms, Aerith taking the lead with Yuffie trailing behind. "Yuffie," Aerith called over her shoulder, "put these bags in the back seat." The 'back seat' was really just a four-wheel cart attached to the back of their bicycle with some utility rope. It acted as their mode of transportation whenever they needed to carry home heavy loads. Though they were native to the Planet, the region known for their vehicles, Aerith hated them and refused to buy a car, like most of the people in the region Hollow Bastion was encased in. "Can I sit with the groceries?" Yuffie asked, skipping towards the newspapers and looking down at the headlines in half interest.

"Yuffie, you're not exactly a kid anymore," murmured Aerith in reply as she hoisted her own grocery bags into the back of the cart. "Are you sure that's not too much weight?"

A gasp resounded behind her, and as Aerith turned around, Yuffie held up the newspaper headline for her to see. "Rufus Shinra is dead!" peeped the girl in shock, and Aerith gaped, rushing over and glancing over the paper to be certain. Sure enough, Rufus' blond framed visage stared back at her, his jaw pulled taught with anxiety. This expression of gloom would be the face his people remembered him by. His last enduring image left an after burn that cast shadow over every smile that had creased his smoothed cheeks.

"Rufus Shinra found dead in his apartment two days before in shocking homicide investigation that has rocked the nation," Aerith heard Yuffie snort behind her, and the woman turned around and glared at her to which Yuffie shrugged. "Hey, it rhymes," she mumbled, "And I'm entitled to dark humor." Ignoring her, Aerith read on through the article with Yuffie peering over her shoulder until she'd had enough and returned the paper to the top of its rack. "Of course they kill the one man who begins to change things," she scowled, her eyes growing dark. In discomfort Yuffie ran over to the backseat of the bike and started to climb into it, causing Aerith's focus of attention to stray.

"I told you, you are too heavy!" barked the woman, hurrying over and pushing Yuffie away. In reply Yuffie gaped at her and crossed her arms in defiance. "You let me sit in the backseat the last time we got groceries, and I tell you, you are going to let me do it again."

For a moment Aerith stood her ground, but at the end of that moment she acquiesced and indicated the cart with a grimace, to which Yuffie clapped her hands and jumped into the backseat, investigating the party items while Aerith pushed off. As the two rode towards the house Yuffie pulled out various food articles and commented on them with distaste.

"We got sparkling paopu? Is paopu the theme of this get together or something?"

"I also got fizzy striped apple, that's your favorite, isn't it?"

"Is it Finches Striped Apple?"

"Well, no, it's a local seller."

"But Finches is the best!"

Aerith glanced around and raised her forefinger in the air as if ready to make her point. "Wait a minute. This guy sold fizzy striped apple _before _the Hollow Bastion Massacre, and then he fled, and when he came back afterwards he started the business back up again! That's history."

"Fascinating. Was he a local seller back then, too?" barked Yuffie in response, and Aerith nodded.

"Figures."

"Really, Yuffie, if you try it you might like it."

Yuffie stayed silent for a moment, and then she took the candy bar out of her pocket and unwrapped it, taking a big bite and smacking as she chewed. Aerith looked back at her and gasped, snapping, "YUFFIE! Where did you get that?" Yuffie glanced up at her with big eyes.

"I got it from the store."

"I didn't see you paying for it!"

"That's because I didn't pay for it," mumbled the girl in a near unintelligible whisper, but Aerith's superior hearing inspired her to stop the bicycle, letting the backseat crash into the back wheel.

"Hey!" Yuffie barked, checking the back of the wheel for damage. "Don't break our way home!"

As Yuffie said this, Aerith planted her feet on the ground and began to turn the bike around, causing her companion to jump up and stop her, crying, "You cannot be serious!" while Aerith glanced at her in anger.

"We are going back to that store, and you are going to apologize for **stealing **that candy bar!"

Yuffie wailed. "Oh, come on! The grocer's is not gonna miss a bar of chocolate."

"95 munny, Yuffie. 95 munny."

Yuffie took another bite of chocolate and shrugged in defiance. "Fine. I am officially a hardened criminal."

"No, you just need a cure for those sticky fingers of yours! I thought you'd gotten over that habit!"

"It's a candy bar! No one is going to miss it!"

"Yuffie!"

"Come on, Aerith, we're almost three quarters of the way home. If we turn back now, we're gonna be late starting the party."

Aerith pursed her lips. She hated to start a party late. Fuming, she turned the bike around, muttering, "fine," as she pushed off in a huff. "But you will never steal another candy bar again, you hear me?" she warned, and Yuffie nodded, licking her fingers. When Aerith continued to stare Yuffie down, the girl stopped and stared back, lowering her candy bar to stomach level.

"Well go on, Yuffie," said Aerith in response. "Finish what you started. Finish the candy bar."

"You'll be mad at me," replied Yuffie.

"Finish the candy bar," Aerith insisted. Yuffie stared at her with wide, alert eyes, and Aerith watched with intent as the girl raised the candy bar to her mouth.

The first bite was cautious, but Aerith smiled. Then, Yuffie relaxed and went to take another big bite. Before she could stick the candy bar in her mouth, Aerith swatted at Yuffie's face with her hand, and Yuffie screamed, dogging. The candy bar disappeared against her right cheek, and Aerith turned and faced ahead, satisfied as she pushed on the pedals of the bike and sent it forward. "Do you have a napkin?" Yuffie grumbled from the back, but Aerith shook her head in delight, singing "nope!" As an afterthought she added, "And I suggest you don't get your hands dirty, because you are carrying all this stuff in."

"Then what am I supposed to do about my face?" whined Yuffie in reply. It was covered with smeared chocolate.

"Oh, I don't know!" Aerith chirped. "A 19 year old young woman with chocolate all over her face, sitting cross-legged in the back of a kiddy cart with the groceries."

In return Yuffie folded her arms over her chest and pouted, messing with the handles of one of the paper bags as she mumbled, "You will be a cruel and torturous mother one day."

…..

Riku smoothed out the hair on top of his head, making sure it was perfect. There was always one tuft that had to be batted down to stay in its place. He checked himself from all angles in the bathroom mirror before sighing. Then he slammed his hands onto the glass, pushing an invisible person in front of him.

"Hey Sora." He tried to say in a low, seductive voice, but it came out high pitched so he started again.

"Hey Sora, how have you been?" He murmured, and then he feigned surprise.

"Oh, Riku, don't come so close, you're making me nervous!"

"I can't help it Sora, I'm aching for you!"

"Oh, Riku, Riku!"

With passion, Riku kissed the mirror, turning his lips from one side to the other in circular motion. He was beginning to wonder if his plan for a direct come-on to Sora was a little raper-ish when he heard a loud banging on the door.

"Flipping hell!" he barked, slamming his fist on the sink.

"Who are you talking to?" His older brother shouted at him from outside the door.

"No one, dumbass!" Riku shot back, but his brother responded with more knocking.

"Unlock the frickin' door, I need to get my toothbrush! I have a job interview!"

Riku took one more look in the mirror. His hair looked good. "Fine." He muttered, and opened the door. His brother charged past him and leaned in close to the mirror, examining a pimple on his forehead. "Dammit." He grumbled to himself. "Stress is what it is. I'm stressing about it."

"Do I care?" muttered Riku. In response his brother grinned at him, before getting him in a chokehold and giving him a quick noogie. "Hey, stop, STOP!" Riku roared, trying to ram his brother into the wall behind him, but the older boy dodged him and Riku hit his own head instead.

"RIKU!" His mother called from the kitchen. "What are you doing? He's got a date!"

"A date?" shouted Riku from the bathroom, and his brother punched him in the shoulder. "You bet your ass I do, it's Mr. Suave, the lady killer!" he sang, running his hands down his front and patting his hips.

"You're so damn weird," hissed Riku in reply. "And why the hell did you tell me it was a job interview?" His brother ignored him and gelled back his hair, so Riku decided it was time for him to leave.

His mother was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine when he went out the door.

"Bye!" He called to her, and she waved absently at him as he left.

Wondering if his dream school had sent him a pamphlet, Riku checked his mailbox, finding with despondence that it was empty except for bills, which his brother could pick up on the way to his 'date'. Riku had attended community college that year, but in the meantime he'd reapplied to the Palumpolum Guardian Academy in Pulse. Riku had read all about it- and all about Cocoon, and the trouble with the Sanctum. To be educated in defense in the middle of a recovering entity like that- right in the middle of a post war, battered yet hopeful atmosphere determined to instill equality... it was what he imagined the Academy in the Land of Departure would have been like under Master Eraqus, whom DiZ had rambled on about when he got into nostalgic fits. Those were the moments Riku had valued his time with Ansem and Naminé the most.

But the last time Riku tried to apply to the Guardian Academy, he had not been able to complete his application because the final paperwork required documentation of a Mark of Mastery- the seminal exam that deemed examinees physically, mentally, and morally fit to continue elite education in defense and leadership. People who graduated the Guardian Academy went on to become chief investigators of the BI, elite military officials and even leaders. Last year Riku had requested a meeting with Yen Sid to discuss taking the Mark of Mastery under his tutelage, because the retired Master had given King Mickey _his _Mark of Mastery exam. The conversation was etched into Riku's memory.

When Riku was finally able to corner Yen Sid the old man came right out and said 'no'. "Do you think I can't do it?" Riku had asked Yen Sid, tall and domineering despite being ancient. Yen Sid rubbed his eyebrows and growled, "Riku, I know very well that you can do it. But you must understand that things are not the way that they used to be! You should have come to me earlier so I could at least train you…"

"I did!"

"What? What did I say?"

"You said that things weren't the way that they used to be!"

"Ah. Well said."

"But Sir, you gave the exam to King Mickey!" Riku whined, "He wasn't even taking an official class!"

"Riku, he was a king," Yen Sid rumbled in reply, "He needed immense skill to deal with the bleak future that glowered before him. He was my former apprentice and is still a good friend! I hardly even know you!" the old man added, flinging his hand in front of him, discarding Riku's accusations. The flung hand concluded Riku's memory of the year old event, but the whole gesture still left him sore as he waved it off and returned to the present, realizing he had reached the end of his street. His watch read four thirty, which granted him an hour to be at Aerith's house for their 'celebration'. Of what, Riku did not know. They'd already had one for Ventus, Roxas' new twin brother, and there weren't any new acquaintances that he'd heard of so far. It must've had something to do with their wedding. Riku hypothesized they'd be announcing the date over the dinner. If he was fast enough, he _could _pay a quick visit to Yen Sid to see how he was doing, and then come back for the party. There was no harm in making friends with the guy. Anything could happen.

Riku jogged down to the train station in Destiny Islands and purchased a ticket to Twilight Town. He was lucky enough to catch the next train a few seconds before it left, and he sat down and made himself comfortable for the ride, imagining introductions. When he reached Twilight Town he exited the train and walked past Main Street until the cobbled alleyways descended into dirt roads coated in grass stubble. Then the path became completely overgrown, and Naminé's mansion inched past. Yen Sid's tower loomed in the distance, jutting above the trees of the small forest surrounding it, and as Riku reached the door and knocked, echoes rose up through the walls of stone. After a few moments, Flora, one of Yen Sid's assistants, opened the door in surprise.

"Oh, hello, Riku!" She cooed in greeting.

"Hello, Flora, how are you?"

Flora sighed and shook her head. "Fauna's sick, she's got me worried. She had to come home from her vacation with Merryweather because her migraines were coming back."

Riku thought about the echoes of his knocking on the door, and suddenly felt bad for coming by at all. "I just wanted to talk with Yen Sid. Is this bad timing?"

Flora gasped, putting her hand over her heart and reassuring, "Not at all, Riku! You just come inside and make yourself comfortable, Yen Sid is in the study, he should be down in a minute," She explained as she shut the front door behind Riku and led him up the long winding staircase to Yen Sid's library. "He's actually packing for a trip to the new military academy in Palumpolum, they want him to do a seminar there and he'll be teaching a master class, isn't that just wonderful? I was invited to go!" She gushed, chuffed with herself. Then a small shadow passed over her face, but she brushed it off and continued on, "But I'm not going because I just _have _to stay and look after dear Fauna!" as she lead Riku through the castle.

"What about Merryweather?" asked Riku, but Flora only laughed. "Oh, Merryweather is Merryweather! How could we keep her from what she wanted to do? She left." Riku was surprised. As long as he had known them, the three sisters had always been together. He'd have trouble getting used to seeing just two of them.

Flora knocked on the door to the study and after a moment's pause Yen Sid called her in. "I'll just go in with you," decided Flora and she led Riku inside in a hurry, sitting him down and asking if he'd like any tea. Yen Sid was gazing out the long crescent window that stood behind his desk, bathed in soft light. The sun was just beginning to lower. "Who came, Flora?" He asked in a deep, commanding voice. "Riku." Flora replied, and Yen Sid turned, surprised. "I was just thinking of you," He murmured, and walked to his desk, sitting down and putting his fingertips together. Riku twiddled his thumbs in slight anxiety, as Yen Sid appeared to be examining him.

"Why did you come to see me, Riku?" asked Yen Sid. Riku shrugged.

"Just to see how you were doing." It sounded lame to Riku. Yen Sid shook his head.

"How is college treating you, Riku? Have you thought of a career path?"

"I don't know." Riku mumbled as Flora handed him a cup of tea and a plate of flower shaped lemon biscuits. As Riku examined the cookies, breaking one in half and nibbling at it, Yen Sid continued to stare him down with narrowed eyes. Then, sighing, he rumbled, "You know, I have been thinking it over, and I believe that I was selfish," and Riku almost coughed on his cookie, managing, "Why would you think that, sir?"

Yen Sid sighed. "I think that I have kept you from your destiny," he murmured. "You see, when you came to me before asking me if I could give you the Mark of Mastery Exam, even before then, when you first asked me to train you for it, I said no. It was partially because I did not want to meddle with what I had previously been used to doing my own way but had changed!" Riku stared, waiting for him to continue. After giving his forehead a thorough massage with his long, spindly fingers, Yen Sid went on, "But in honesty, I was tired. I am old! I do not want to train another group of young people to this job, because too much has gone wrong in the past! Yet I was denying the fact that trouble was seething like a pit of snakes beneath our feet!" bellowed the old man, and Riku cowered, but Yen Sid groaned and continued to massage his temple. "I watched it rise! I watched the seeds being planted; I watched the ones who planted them! And now that the weeds have grown into towering plants, hacking off their tops is useless! We need to locate the center of the roots hidden beneath the soil!" He boomed, and Riku was sent over the edge, his seat back tipping behind him and carrying his legs over his head while Yen Sid calmed down.

"And that is why we need hope filled youth- such as yourself- to start a new order of justice!" roared Yen Sid, banging his fists against the table in dramatic fashion, with bright, starry eyes twinkling in his worn face. "We elder ones that have survived the world's worst cannot just sit back and let our work go to pot… what are you doing lying on the ground?"

Riku jumped up, trying to rearrange the chair that he had toppled over, mumbling that he was sorry while adding, "You just... got so passionate there, I uh... well..." while Riku trailed into incoherent dribble, Yen Sid lost interest and largely tuned Riku out. By the time Riku had recovered his composure, the old Key blade Master had returned his gaze out the window, his eyes narrowing. With a sigh Riku set his palms parallel to his chest, as if pushing something away. "Sir, you don't have to worry about teaching me," murmured the boy, smiling, "I'll make my dreams come true on my own."

But as Riku spoke, Yen Sid's piercing gaze fell against him once more. "But you cannot," hissed the old man, advancing towards Riku, barred by his desk, "You must realize that. The fallen hands of the past must hold you up so you do not share their fate! You cannot become one of them!"

Pursing his lips, Riku averted his gaze, noticing a picture leaned on the far wall of the study. "Who's that?" He asked, feeling as though the name was on the tip of his tongue. "It is a portrait of Xehanort," replied Yen Sid, looking around at Riku again, who patted his hand to his temple and rolled his eyes with a grin. "Of course! Sora found his old reports, when he posed as Ansem and I…" Riku looked away, his grin fading. Yen Sid watched him a moment before continuing, "Tell me, Riku, what was it about that man that enticed you?"

A pause came over Riku as his brows bent in thought. Then, he murmured, "I just kept seeing all the similarities between him and I, and when I was doing what Maleficent wanted, I felt… " He trailed off, sighing to himself. Yen Sid looked into the distance, back outside his window. "How did he persuade you?" murmured the man. The sun was now low.

Riku looked off in deep shame. "She told me that if I wanted to carve out a path for myself I should take any road necessary. And she told me I followed Sora like his dog. That made me angry," faltering on the last words, Riku's mouth clamped shut as he regained composure.

"Because you were jealous of Sora?" Yen Sid murmured, and Riku seethed, snapping, "Sora was meant to be a hero from the day he was born!" His sudden unexplainable anger gritted his teeth, but he continued, "And when his dad became the head of the Investigation Bureau Sora became famous! My dad had never done anything like his! My dad was never even there…" finished the silver haired boy, and sat back. "Sorry." He managed and Yen Sid nodded.

"How were you affected when Organization 13 tried to use _you _against Sora?"

Riku chuckled to himself. "It was still about Sora- 'the key'. It was always about him."

"You saved him, making you as much a hero as he," commented the old Master. "Maybe," Riku acquiesced, and Yen Sid chuckled.

"The most interesting part of the story for me is Ansem… and the events surrounding his hatred of Xemnas."

"I don't know the answer to that." Confessed Riku. Yen Sid glowered.

"Oh, I know the answer to it. But only in parts. It is rather irritating being relayed confidential information and not being able to relay it. I have many secrets. Sometimes the truth must come out… but, anyway, the picture," Yen Sid snapped. Riku blinked. "What?"

Yen Sid pointed to the picture of Xehanort. "What do you know of this man?" asked the retired Master. Riku paused to think before responding, "He wrote out scientific reports in Ansem's name when Ansem was the mayor of Radiant Garden, he did a few experiments without Ansem's approval, which lead to Ansem's flight from Radiant Garden and the Hollow Bastion Massacre. That's what I figured out through DiZ, anyway."

Yen Sid nodded, turning back to the window. "Then you do not know the full story." With that he smiled, murmuring, "Goodbye Riku," in gentle conclusion, while Riku sprang out of his seat. "What?" blurted the boy in shock. Yen Sid chuckled in amusement, responding, "Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

With narrowed eyes Riku nodded and trudged to the door. But before he opened its circular wooden frame and descended the stairs, he remembered something important. "Oh! I heard of this old professor who proctored the Mark of Mastery Exams with Master Eraqus," he began with a grin, racking his memory, "I was wondering if you would have known him. I was thinking of finding him and asking him to teach me-"

"-If you are speaking of whom I am thinking, I am telling you Riku, you must never go near him," warned Yen Sid in a low voice, "You are too much like…" Then the old man was lost in his thoughts, as Riku sighed in irritation, deciding he had nothing more to do than to leave. "By sir," He mumbled as set his palm around the doorknob, disappointed and confused.

"Do not call me sir," Yen Sid growled behind him, and Riku spun around.

"Call me Master the next time we meet," Yen Sid continued, letting it sink in. Riku opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, and then he clapped his hands together and ran his fingers through his hair. "You mean, are you saying what I think you're saying? You mean me- be your apprentice- for the Mark of Mastery Exam? Oh boy…" Riku's head was swimming and he didn't quite know where to go. Yen Sid sighed, and returned to a suitcase that was seated near the door, one that Riku had not noticed before. He began to put books into it, and Riku felt an urge to help him, but feared proving a nuisance.

"You will start your training once I return from my master class in Palumpolum. You will come every day, if your day is filled with classes you will come at night, I will give you your lessons, etcetera, etcetera… Oh, and have a good evening," He finished and tipped his hat at Riku as he left the room. Flora was just ascending the stairs as Yen Sid lead Riku out of his study, and raised her head at the same time Yen Sid cleared his throat to address her.

"Flora, could you show this young man out?" asked the old man, adding, "And show me out, too, for that matter?" and Flora laughed. "Of course, sir!"

"We will be seeing much more of this young man from now on, Flora." Commented Yen Sid as the three of them descended the stairs. Flora looked up in surprise. "Oh!" She breathed, and led them to the door. Outside the tower entrance stood two stern men in black suits and sunglasses. Yen Sid's firm grip fell on Riku's shoulder as he stepped forward and glowered at the men, his face contorted with his long furrowed brows.

"Remove your sunglasses," Yen Sid commanded.

The men were taken aback, but removed their sunglasses with caution, looking around them in suspicion.

"What are you here for?" Yen Sid asked and the two men glanced towards each other before returning their gaze to him.

"The star seeker," The one to the left whispered whispered. Yen Sid loosened up.

"I would've invited you two in for tea, but that is not possible due to your tardiness."

"How did you know we were here?" the other said in awe.

"Because I was looking out the window."

"Ah."

"You are both honest men," Yen Sid boomed. "Put your sunglasses back on and accompany me to the train station."

"We have a car."

"How do you expect me to reach the airport in a car when there are no roads?" Yen Sid snapped, but the two men grinned.

"We know a few side roads," the left man chuckled, but Yen Sid would not have it.

"You will park your car in my tower's ground floor, and you will accompany me to Palumpolum, first by train, and then by plane," he growled. "There are others who know of the side roads that I would rather not meet."

"And what did those 'same people who would rather take care of business invisibly' do during the Incident," one of the men interrupted, holding his hand out, "Trust us; we know how to do our jobs-"

"- We will go on the train. And, furthermore, I will not have you talking like Shinra," Yen Sid thundered. The suited men went stock straight and nodded briskly, hurrying to park their car inside the tower.

"Master? What just happened?" Riku asked when the men were gone, and Yen Sid grimaced, bracing himself as he murmured, "I would hope that you do not find out for a while." When the two men returned, Yen Sid put his arm on Riku's shoulder again. Then he, Riku, and the two men in suits traveled down the overgrown path to the train station. As Riku parted with them at the station entrance Yen Sid patted his shoulder.

"Remember what I have told you. And keep in mind, my study will always open for those who have strong hearts," whispered the old master, his eyes gleaming with hidden truth. "And look after Sora while I'm gone," He added, to which Riku nodded, his heart skipping a beat. The boy waved to Yen Sid as the old man boarded a train that went past the beach and over to the small airport on the outskirts of Twilight Town. Then, the boy boarded his own train and started to Hollow Bastion, seating himself near the door and patting his leg. When he glanced at his watch he saw that it was 5:30. He would be late. His hands shook as he looked at the brilliant sky outside the window. The days were lasting longer now that summer was rolling in. The sun would not set till deep into Aerith's party. As Riku watched the clouds move over the lowering sun Riku felt discomfort growing within him. He feared for Yen Sid. The two suited men had been bodyguards. Did Yen Sid know too much?

Riku took a deep breath and tried to smile. His dreams were in reach and he would be looking after Sora again, which he relished. But the shadow that hung over him made his skin crawl.

At least things were going to get interesting.

…..

Aerith ran back and forth in excitement, checking the clock repeatedly.

"Loz, could you take out the plates and silverware? Yuffie knows where they are. Leon! Where is Cid? He better not be on his computer… can you set up the tables? Yazoo, help me mix up the dip."

"Would you like me to make the dish presentable?" responded Yazoo, and Aerith told him where the bowls were.

"Cid!" she called, and Cid trudged in from outside, spatula in hand.

"I was grilling!" he barked, waving his spatula in the air, and Aerith looked up at the ceiling.

"Is the meat ready?" She asked.

"There is no exact time to cooking beast," Cid snorted in response, "Unless it's fake. Grilling is a fine art, Aerith."

"All right, Cid," sang Aerith in reply as Cid trudged back outside. Naminé walked in and asked if Aerith needed any help. "Is it 6 o'clock?" Aerith gasped. Naminé shook her head, responding that her party just decided to come early.

"All the guests are coming early?" mumbled Aerith in worry, half to herself. Then she handed a serving bowl to Naminé and put the bag of lettuce, box of tomatoes, and a few peppers and fruit inside it.

"Mix some salad. I've already got the food in the oven but the lemonade isn't finished. And if you could just shape the dough for the bannock bread- and I'm guessing you don't know how to make sky blue mousse?"

"I do! That's my favorite!" Naminé replied, and Aerith's face brightened, before she frowned in worry, asking, "Is that too much?" but Naminé waved her off. "Roxas and Xion will help."

Aerith furrowed her eyebrows. "Does Roxas know how to cook?" To this Naminé laughed.

"He can knead bread."

"Oh, I know. It's just…. What I mean is… is he clumsy?"

Just as she said this there was a crash in the front room and Roxas staggered in. "It's fine, everything's totally fine!" he reassured everyone. "Just the coat hanger. I just tripped over the coat hanger…" Then, he maneuvered his way back out into the living room to pick up the coats.

"He can do meet and greet," Naminé decided, and Aerith nodded in agreement. Just then, Ventus wandered into the kitchen and Naminé grabbed him, getting him on the lemonade and salad. Xion poked her head in to ask if any help was needed, and Naminé got her to knead the bread while she made the mousse. The oven timer went off just as Roxas popped his head in to tell everyone that Riku had arrived, and in curiosity Ventus turned to the side as Riku walked in the room. The blonde's eyebrows rose in surprise at how attractive the boy was, but when Riku glanced in his direction, Ventus redirected his gaze to the tomatoes he was chopping.

"Riku, could you help Leon with the tables?" Aerith barked, running back to the oven to switch the main dish for the bread.

"All the plates and stuff are set out," Loz called from out the kitchen window. "Can you take the food outside to cool?" asked Aerith, "Put it on the platform so it doesn't burn the table cloth," she added, but Loz seemed confused.

"What platform?"

"Oh, Leon will get it for you."

Yazoo raised his hand at this point, eyeing the various foods in their trays with distain. "Do these need to be made presentable?" He asked, and Aerith shrugged. "Sure." Yazoo nodded, taking the trays in his arms and converting some of their contents into more 'presentable' ones. Axel waltzed in through the backyard without invitation, Lea tagging along behind him, roaring, "we brought sea salt ice cream!" before adding, "courtesy of Reno," in a unintelligible mutter. After a round of applause for the ice cream, Aerith ran out the backdoor and helped Lea carry the ice cream to the fridge. While she took the two tubs from their paper bags and distributed them to the bottom shelf of the freezer, Lea stood back admiring the view until Axel caught him and cried, "Lea!" The boy snapped to attention with a blush, and Axel pointed to his pupils and mouthed "eyes".

"Yes, mama daddy," mocked Lea in reply, scowling, but Axel snapped, "watch the language, Lea," in return, to which Lea stuck his out his tongue and stalked outside. Axel watched with a sigh as Lea trudged to the farthermost corner of the yard and plunked himself down into a lawn chair, while Aerith smiled. "Tough kid?" she murmured, checking on the bread, and Axel snorted behind her, chuckling, "You have no idea." Aerith's eyes lingered on him as he took a deep breath out. But when he caught her, she glanced away, pretending to wash dishes.

"What're you looking at?" asked Axel, his eyes shining, but Aerith shrugged, muttering that he looked exhausted.

"Well, I'm taking the break up hard," mumbled Axel in return, adding, "It's a new group of firsts for me," with a cool smile. As Aerith stared at him, Axel softened and took her hand in his.

"Aerith, I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I didn't mean… well, I did mean to come on to you, but I was just being mean… well, I was just…. It was a combination of me being mean, and me being conceited," He blurted out, finding the right words verbally. When he cleared his throat to continue, though, Aerith placed her hand over his mouth and closed her eyes. "Axel," she began, wetting her lips, "I think I understand. I know you still like me." As Aerith said this, Axel's face fell, but the woman opened her eyes and continued. "Everyone copes with loneliness differently. But of all people Axel, Selphie? I mean she's a lovely girl, but-"

"Don't go too hard on her," Axel interjected. "She's like me, except more stupid. I got what I deserved."

Touching her hand to her heart, Aerith's brows furrowed and she responded, "No one deserves to be hurt, Axel," in a whisper, turning her face away from his. In the ensuing silence Axel shook his head and chuckled. "A person with your history saying that... wow..." he glanced sideway at Aerith to see her reaction, but instead of vocalizing indignation, she watched him with a cool glare. Then she cleared her throat, replying, "People become who they are for different reasons," before she added, "But it's interesting that you bring that up," with polite inflection.

Axel chuckled, imploring, "But _some _people deserve a good kick in the ass, right?" But Aerith's shoulders fell and she sighed, looking out the window and watching the proceedings of the table set up and the grilling. Cid was cursing.

"Some people deserve a _wakeup call_," murmured the woman in irritation, looking at Axel with a meaningful glance, "But that's different." Then, she snapped her fingers and turned around. "We need the bread, and the jam and honey. Yuffie, could you get the rose honey and the golden jam out of the fridge?" After her call, she trailed off, and Axel folded his arms over his chest and breathed out deep as Yuffie passed him by with the jam and honey. When she noticed the paper plates blowing away in the wind, Aerith followed Yuffie outside. As she exited the backdoor she passed by Riku, who met eyes with Axel as he entered the kitchen. The red head grinned as Riku blinked at him. Then, while the younger man took a 180-degree turn and attempted to dash for the backdoor, Axel lunged after him and grabbed him by the wrist, draping his arm over Riku's shoulders and hugging him.

"Hey, buddy, what's going on with you?" gushed his older companion as Riku struggled out of his hold. "I'm fine," the boy muttered. "I heard that you liked boys," whispered Axel in response, but Riku rolled his eyes, snapping, "Yeah, so did everyone else when I came out _two years ago_, Axel. It's not new."

"I know, I know. But I was just with Selphie for such a long time, and _because _I was _taken _for so long, I didn't see much of you, you know? But now that I'm _single _again, I think I'll have the _opportunity_ to see you a lot more, right?" the red head cooed, but Riku glared, hissing, "I have stuff to do," while Axel let him go. The red head watched as Riku trudged out of the kitchen and bashed into the backyard. His silver head of hair bobbed by the kitchen window as it shouted towards Aerith, but then it disappeared. A shadow fell into Axel's peripheral vision as he peered into the backyard, and out of the corner of his eye, he noted Ventus leaning against the staircase wall outside the archway leading from the hall into the kitchen.

The boy was staring into the backyard with a forlorn glance, and the shadows of the trees hulking over the fence at the back of the yard mottled his cheeks with different shades of honey. Feeling Axel's gaze upon him, the boy turned his head and met the man's stare, his wide feline eyes glinting as they dilated. But he remained silent, and Axel was not aware of his own inching towards the boy until he was several feet in front of him. Then, sighing, he picked up courage and strolled directly in front of the blond boy, commanding himself to look Ventus in the eye. When Axel reached his side, Ventus turned and stepped forward until their chests were inches apart. Then, he stared up with an innocent, boyish glance.

"Hey, Axel. What's going on?" He cooed, making Axel chuckle, "You are quite the actor, aren't you?" in response.

"You won't even play along?" Ventus tried, pouting. His head cocked to the side and he leaned further against the wall, his hips jutting forward as he stared up at Axel from beneath his long sandy eyelashes. The gestures made Axel grit his teeth. The boy looked so much like Roxas. But Axel finally snapped "no" in response, causing his young companion to scowl. "The rake is picky with its prey," he snorted, to which Axel raised an eyebrow. Ventus glanced up at him with narrowed eyes, shrugging as he responded, "you know, a womanizer. Late 16th century. It's called history. Maybe you would have learned it if you finished school," he muttered with nonchalance, picking at his nails. When Axel did not respond, Ventus chuckled, adding, "It's amazing you don't have every venereal disease under the sun."

"Guess I'm just lucky," sighed Axel in reply. Then he snorted, adding, "I bet you understand with your extensive experience," making Ventus fold his arms in defense, his lower lip curling into a pout. In dismay Axel realized that he was sexually attracted to the boy, and without second thought, he reached forward and ran his finger along Ventus' mouth as the boy raised his brows in surprise. When Axel's fingers rested beneath Ventus' chin and tipped it up, the boy leered back immediately, evading Axel's touch in disgust. In response Axel snickered, asking, "Is this your secret weapon, Ventus? Unoriginal insults and evasion?"

Refusing to reply, Ventus kept his eyes trained away from Axel and towards the party outside. His fingernails dug into his arms and his nostrils flared, but his eyes were wide and darted back and forth, thinking of what he would say next. Axel leaned close to his ear and hissed, "Maybe the next time you start spouting about karma to people you should examine your own actions."

Instead of responding, Ventus continued to stare at the ground ahead. But after a few moments pause, and without another word, Axel moved into the backyard, smoothed his shirtfront, and took a deep breath. Ventus stayed leaned against the hallway staircase, rigid with anger as the backdoor opened again and Riku traveled inside to retrieve his coat. When he spied Ventus standing alone, he walked forward and touched him on the shoulder. In response, Ventus slapping his arm away, but Riku caught him by the hand and set it to his side, asking, "Hey, what's the matter?" With a forced chuckle and a half grin, Ventus shrugged, muttering, "I'm fine. Just jittery," before he turned and ascended the stairs. Riku watched him as he climbed the carpeted steps before calling, "wait!" but as he gripped the staircase railing and hoisted himself onto the third step, the front door opened and Kadaj walked inside. From out in the backyard, Xion, seated on a lawn chair directly facing the glass backdoor, peered inside and gaped, jumping up and running into the hallway. When she was sure it was Kadaj, Xion ran over and gave him an enormous hug, kissing him on the cheek. "Where's Kairi and Demyx?" she asked, as a few more guests trailed inside to see the proceedings, but Kadaj shrugged. "They could not come."

With a snort Xion patted him on the shoulder, murmuring, "We're a humble audience, eh?" at which Kadaj chuckled and Xion kissed him on the cheek, before indicating the hallway and giving a little tour of the downstairs area. As Kadaj glanced about his surroundings, his smile softened and his eyes creased with worry. "Are my brothers here?" he asked. Just as Xion was about to reply, Yuffie charged in from the backyard and gave the silver haired man a hug, almost tackling him to the ground in the process. Through the onslaught of affection the man stood as still as possible, his eyes wide and his lips pursed. "Any brother of Loz is a brother of mine!" announced Yuffie as she ran back over to Loz, who had just entered the dwelling with reluctance, and kissed him on the lips. With wider eyes than every Kadaj watched them and tugged on Xion's shirt. "Yes Kadaj?" the girl asked, to which Kadaj inquired if Naminé was at the gathering.

"Yeah, she's in the kitchen helping Aerith set stuff up," Xion replied.

"I see." Kadaj responded curtly, nodding to his brother, who nodded back before returning to the backyard. Curious about the new guests, Ventus shuffled to the top of the stairs and leaned against the railing, peering down at Kadaj and Xion with a cool glance. Xion and Kadaj noticed him at the same time, and Xion smiled, chirping, "Did you meet Roxas' brother, Ventus?" In reply Kadaj furrowed his eyebrows and watched Ventus descend the stairs, before he responded "no" in a murmur. Xion held her hand forward in introduction. "Ventus, this is Kadaj, Loz's brother, Kadaj, this is Ventus, Roxas' brother."

As Xion introduced him Ventus shook Kadaj's hand. Then Leon called Ventus into the backyard to help with the tables and he hovered off. With a slight sneer Kadaj watched the boy leave, before Riku trudged over and stood beside him. "You know that kid?" asked Riku. Kadaj shook his head. "Did you notice that he kind of… stares?" Riku commented.

"Yes," responded Kadaj with a chuckle. "It is an easy contest for him."

"Wait, did you look into his eyes?" Riku asked, and Kadaj looked at him with a curious expression.

After a long pause of thought, Kadaj proposed that he didn't wholly like encountering people like himself. "I am not strong enough to stare into mirrors that reflect my faults," he added, meeting Riku's eyes. In defiance, Riku kept them and furrowed his brows, chuckling, "Well I try not to hide my faults if I don't have to." For a brief minute Kadaj looked at him in wonder before his expression became cold. "And you are?" he inquired, folding his hands behind his back.

"I'm Riku, Sora's friend," gushed Riku in response, forgetting to check himself on the last part. He did not want to be defined by Sora anymore. But he had introduced himself in that way for so long that it became subconscious routine.

"Ah," Kadaj replied, and filed into the kitchen. Not knowing quite what to do next, Riku shuffled around the hall, but sighed when the doorbell rang and Sora and Selphie waltzed inside, arm in arm.

"Hey, buddy!" Sora roared. "Hey Sora," Riku responded, tensing.

"Hey, Riku! You wanna have a sleep over and talk about boyyysss?" Selphie asked, giggling, and Riku scowled as he shot back, "Selphie, just because I'm gay doesn't mean I like painting my toenails and having 'boy talk'."

"You described it in a lot of detail," Selphie sang in response.

"It's a gift," Riku muttered, "I could write a book one day," and Selphie giggled again. "So you're saying that you're not _that _type of _gay boy. _It's weird; I thought gay boys just wanted to be girls-"

"-Okayyy, Selphie! Time to help Aerith!" Sora interrupted her, and Selphie trotted off into the kitchen, oblivious. After watching her disappear completely from sight and hearing, Sora glanced back at Riku with a pained expression.

"Sorry. Sometimes I think her filter's broken, y'know?" He chuckled, covering and uncovering his mouth with his palm to indicate a filter. Riku snorted, before his memory clicked and he cleared his throat. Then he asked if Sora wanted to accompany him upstairs. "I just want to talk to you really fast," he grumbled, but Sora nodded with a good-natured smile and took the lead.

As the boys mounted the stairs and walked into Cid's office room Riku breathed deeply. "Okay, calm it down, Riku, just calm it down…" He whispered to himself as he closed the office door behind them, and then he turned back to Sora, who was leaning against the other wall.

"You okay?" asked the younger boy, but Riku gave him a menacing look before stalking over and putting his hands on either side of Sora's face, trapping him.

"Hey Sora, how have you been?" Riku whispered.

"I've been pretty good. How about you?" Sora chirped in return.

"I want you Sora," Riku sighed into Sora's ear, waiting for a reaction, but Sora was silent. He wasn't even blushing. His face was scrunched up in thought. "What is it, Sora?" asked Riku, trying not to gulp. Still thinking hard, Sora responded with deliberation, "Riku, maybe after I'm done with Selphie-" to which Riku flung his hands in the air before running them through his hair and whining in rage.

"Are you serious, Sora?" he screeched, "_After Selphie? _Like Selphie is a current client or something? Sora, do you even like her?" Riku spat, and Sora pursed his lips.

"She's… fun," he tried, but Riku snorted, shaking his head.

"You know what your problem is, Sora?" snapped the silver haired boy, "You never say no." Then, Riku threw his arms around him, addressing an imaginary crowd. "'Come one, come all! Sora is open for business! Just wait in the queue behind the green line!'"

"Hey! I'm not like that!" Sora barked in return, pushing away from the wall and advancing on Riku, who stepped back in surprise. "When people like me, I tend to like them, too! That's good, right?" Sora added with a bright smile. But Riku sighed, giving up. "You're just leading people on, Sora. When you say 'you will always be in my heart', what do you mean by that?"

"I can love whoever I want!" Sora shouted in response, putting his hands into fists, but Riku continued.

"You never loved anyone, Sora! You've never had such a huge part of your heart go to just one person- you don't know how much it hurts!"

"That's not true!"

"That's what you did to Kairi, that's what you did to me!" Riku faltered on the last few words, and Sora grimaced at him. "You know ever since you were young you could be a real asshole when you felt hurt," hissed the boy finally, his face contorted with anger as he continued, "I hope you're not really the self centered jerk you make yourself out to be at times like this." Riku hid his face in shame. There was silence for a moment. Then, Riku felt a touch on his shoulder, and then another on his other shoulder, and he glanced up as Sora's hands slid to the sides of his face. Then the younger boy turned him around and kissed him, stroking his hair.

"You wanna have sex, don't you, Riku?" Sora announced.

"Yeah," mumbled Riku in return, humiliated. Sora nodded and stood back.

"Well, come on, then!" barked the boy, clapping his hands with enthusiasm. "I'm down with my sexuality and so is Selphie!"

"You're just gonna give it away that easily?" snapped Riku in reply, making Sora raise an eyebrow.

"Your virginity, you're just gonna give it away- just like that?" Riku elaborated, but Sora laughed.

"I've already done it with Selphie, Riku."

"No, I mean with a guy. Cause you know it's way different, right?"

"Riku, I've done it with a guy before," Sora chirped, and Riku pursed his lips. "Who?"

"Axel."

"WHAT?" Riku blubbered. His world had ended. Any minute he expected a fiery tornado to scoop the whole house up and chuck the dinner party into space.

"I did it with Axel." Sora repeated, and Riku groaned. "You cannot be serious," he said to himself, but Sora heard him. "Oh, I'm serious alright."

"How long ago did you do it with him?" Riku snapped, but Sora had to think about it.

"Two years ago," said the boy finally. "I kissed him, I think, a little while after I _first_ met him, but… I actually _did _it with him… just after all that trouble with Organization 13 ended. Sweet sixteen," he reminisced, "And Riku, he's really good…"

"Sora, that's statutory rape," barked Riku, putting his hands on either side of his head in shock. Sora furrowed his brows and shrugged. "Well, I liked it. And I owe a lot of what I know to him, I can show you if you like."

"Sora, I wanted to do you!" Riku whined, and Sora looked at him with raised brows. "I don't know, Riku. You seem more like a bottom bunk kind of guy, if you catch my drift."

"Bottom bunk- what?"

"Do I really need to repeat it?"

"No, no, you don't…" Riku finished in agony. He tried to think of happy thoughts, like the fact that he was going to be taking the Mark of Mastery exam in an unspecified amount of time. It would give him more time away from Sora. It would help him get over him. Suddenly, the world was brighter.

"Riku, do you want to do it right now?" asked Sora. Riku looked at him and sighed, before muttering, "No. Not this time," in dejected response. Sora stared at him with a puzzled expression. "Why not, Riku?"

"I just don't want to!" Riku snapped. "Anyway, we're here for Aerith. And Selphie's waiting for you."

As Riku said this, Sora smiled and laughed. "Thanks for understanding, Riku," he beamed and dashed out of the room in excitement. Riku shook his head, muttering, "don't mention it," to himself.

When Riku had gotten down the stairs Sora was already out the back talking with everyone. Before venturing back into the kitchen, Riku sighed and shook his head. Then he lumbered towards the kitchen cupboards, where Axel was getting silverware and setting it into a long woven basket with an embroidered cloth lain inside it. He chuckled as he noticed Riku coming in and shook his head, holding up a fork and a corner of the cloth, announcing, "It's so damn fancy, huh?" Then he chuckled again and continued setting the silverware inside. In silence Riku trudged up to him and began helping him convert the silverware from the cabinet to the basket, making Axel inquire, "What's the matter Riku?" in curiosity. Then, with a mischievous grin he added, "You want to go somewhere?" snickering as Riku's lip cured up.

"You horny or something?" Riku snapped back. "Seems like you've been all over everyone." Axel shrugged in return, responding, "Maybe I am a little horny. It's mostly restlessness."

As the red head closed the cabinet and picked up the basket Riku lost his inhibition and turned to face him, blocking his exit. "I hear you like them young," he sneered and Axel glowered. "I only do over sixteen, Riku. Totally legal."

"How gentleman like of you," Riku shot back, and Axel's scowl deepened as he responded, "All my friends are way younger than me, Riku, what do you expect?"

"Smart people don't date their friends," hissed Riku in reply. Axel snorted and nodded. "Well then Riku, there are a lot of stupid people around here. Including you," he added, poking Riku in the chest before going outside. Riku scratched his scalp, thinking about what he'd said. Axel had twisted his words or he'd said it wrong. He hadn't meant it that way. "_I have nothing to hide," _Riku remembered himself saying to Yen Sid, and chuckled. He felt he'd been honest, but now he wasn't sure.

Just then there was a ringing on the doorbell and Riku went to answer it, but there was a scream as he reached for the doorknob. When he turned around Yuffie threw him out of the way.

"It's Zack!" She barked. "You can't let him in- we're not ready yet!" then she giggled and ran back outside to gather the troops. Riku nodded in return, waiting with patience for Zack to try to unlock the door so that he could 'barricade' it against him.

"EVERYONE OUTSIDE! GET READY FOR THE SURPRISE!" Yuffie screeched from the backyard. Riku snorted, thinking that if Zack hadn't heard that, he was deaf as a post. As Riku stood still there was another knock on the door, and then another. Frowning to himself, Riku wondered why Zack would keep knocking if he had a key to get inside. Then the doorbell rung, and there was a loud rapping that made Riku's palms sweat in anticipation. "Yuffie!" He called, and Yuffie ran back in, wide-eyed. "It's not Zack," Riku warned.

"But he said he'd be coming at 6 o'clock!" whined the girl in worried response. There was another, louder rapping on the door and Yuffie's hands curled into fists. Then she inched towards the door and unlocked it, opening it with hesitance and peeking onto the front porch. There were two policemen standing before her. Yuffie shuffled her feet, but then put her hands out to be handcuffed.

"Alright, boys, take me in. I'm sure that there'll be some sort of interest or something on that 95 munny."

"Are you making fun of us?" One of the cops growled, and Yuffie's eyes became watery, as she stood defiant. Riku was silent.

"Why are you here, anyway?" she snapped, "We're in the middle of a party." Just then Aerith came inside to see what was wrong, along with Axel and Roxas.

"There he is," One of them sneered and pushed past Yuffie, knocking her into the wall. "HEY!" She shouted at them, but Riku blocked her from going towards them.

"Yuffie! Control yourself!" He snapped as Yuffie tried to break his grasp. Aerith turned her attention to the officers and tried to smile, though her hands were shaking. "Gentlemen, what is the problem?" She asked in a strained voice, but they pushed past her as well.

"We've got him," hissed one of them into their walkie-talkie as they trudged over to Axel, whose eyes became wide with realization as he barked, "What's the problem?" But before he could say another word, one of the officers slammed him against the staircase wall and pulled his hands behind his back. There were shouts of protest behind Axel as more wide-eyed guests began trailing inside, gob smacked at the scene ahead. The policemen ignored Axel's shouts of disapproval, and when they finished cuffing him they pulled him away from the wall to face them. "You are under arrest for fraud," one announced. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do can be…."

As Axel was read his rights Lea trailed into the room behind Sora, who was screaming at one of the officers that 'his father would find out about this'. Lea's eyes grew big as he registered his brother, and as Aerith shielded him Axel noticed the boy's head fall in shame. Before the policemen could haul Axel out the front door, though, Aerith broke hold from Lea's face and ran towards them, asking, "Where is Zack fair?" with sudden desperation, her voice ringing with panic.

"Ma'am, how did you know this man?" One of the cops asked, pointing to Axel, but Aerith shook her head, instead pursuing, "where is my fiancé? He should have been here at six! He's not usually late!" exclaimed the woman, explaining, "He was in Midgar on a business trip with Sora's father. He got a job at the Investigation Bureau."

"I need a name for this father, ma'am," murmured one of the policemen.

"He's the head of the Investigation Bureau!" Aerith returned. "Zack traveled to Midgar to see the head of the division of the Investigation Bureau that takes care of Midgar and to meet with Shinra! He hasn't come back yet!"

"Listen, we've got to get this guy to the police station and get him taken in." The cop snapped.

"Who wants to arrest me?" Axel shouted, but he was ignored as Aerith touched one of the cops on the arm, making the officer bristle with indignation. While the cop sparred with Aerith, Axel noticed Ventus leaning against the staircase; his back leaned against the same space Axel's face had slammed into when he had been cuffed. The blond boy's wide eyes shone with glee, and then he turned and walked outside. After this, Axel was taken from the house and lead down the lane of the front garden as another set of cops passed by on their way to the porch.

"Is there an Aerith Gainsborough here?" One of them asked, and Aerith nodded, walking towards them as she asked what the matter was.

Once the cop had been assured that Aerith was who she said she was he relayed that Zack Fair was in the correctional facility in Midgar awaiting trial. As he redistributed the paper he'd read his information from to his pocket, Aerith froze and Yuffie barked, "What the hell is Zack in jail for?" To calm her down, Riku set his hands on her shoulders, but in stern irritation, Aerith commanded her to stop her behavior before returning her gaze to the cops ahead. Behind her, Yuffie backed down, glancing at her feet in tears.

"What did he do?" asked Aerith.

"Your fiancé is under arrest for the murder of Rufus Shinra."

Yuffie gasped. "But that's impossible..."

"If you come down to the police station, we can give you more information," one of the policemen snapped. Clamping her mouth shut, Aerith nodded and asked Yuffie to retrieve her purse. In return Yuffie charged up the stairs and into Aerith's bedroom, returning a few moments later with the little blue purse and setting it in Aerith's outstretched hands. With shaking fingers Aerith searched its interior for tissues to wipe her eyes, sniffing and pursing her lips as she extracted a small flowered hanky and held it to her face. Then she took a deep breath, patted at her eyes, and addressed Yuffie.

"I am going to go to the police station with the policemen, it's your job to stay and hold down the fort. You'll have to be the new host of the party."

Cid trudged forward from where he had been standing in shock and held Aerith firmly by the shoulder, murmuring, "I'll go with you, Aerith," as he glowered at the policemen. "I'll go too," Leon piped in from the back of the horde of people blocking the garden door. When he shoved past them and put his hand around Aerith's shoulder, Aerith squeezed the men's arms and allowed them to hug her, sighing and smiling at them both. "Thank you," she whispered, glancing from one to the other with crinkled, pink rimmed eyes. "You are all so kind." Then the three left, led to a cop car.

Roxas, Riku, and Yuffie, all watched dumbfounded as the cop cars pulled out from in font of the house and onto the street, whizzing towards and through the back lanes of Hollow Bastion. The remaining party stood huddled between the kitchen and the staircase, held in silence until Yuffie turned back to Roxas and Riku.

"Well, let's try to have a party," She sighed, and Roxas and Riku glanced towards one other, worried. After sucking in some air, Yuffie shouted for everyone to move to the backyard before marching outside with Roxas and Riku trailing behind. "What should we do about Lea?" She asked, as the rest of the party squeezed outside amidst murmurs and shushes. "He could stay with us if my mom doesn't mind," volunteered Roxas, and Yuffie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll have to figure that one out. But right now, we've got to make sure the food goes."

Outside, everyone seemed to be waiting for a summary of what had just happened, and it was obvious that they had all been talking about it amongst themselves. Yuffie sucked in another deep breath before she went outside herself, and once her sandal clad feet had cleared the patio and stood up on a lawn chair, she shouted to get everyone's attention. With their heads bent low, Riku and Roxas sneaked past her as Yuffie put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.

"As of right now, no one is leaving this garden till all of this food is eaten," roared the girl, and every head in the yard turned in her direction as she held up her forefinger in indication. "And furthermore, there will be no more talking about what just happened. I don't care if you don't know shit, I'm not telling. And neither are Roxas and Riku," added Yuffie, while Roxas and Riku bent their heads down, trying to look inconspicuous.

"I'm the new host of this shindig, so I just want to tell you all... I just want to say…I don't know," She finally decided, plunking herself down in the chair and trying not to cry. Loz sat her in his lap, hugging her, and Sora looked from side to side before jumping up on his own chair and clapping with affected enthusiasm.

"Well, the dinner isn't going to eat itself, people!" he sang, and in response everyone nodded, trying to smile. Then, they ate and attempted to chat about normal subjects, putting the previous events out of mind. In the meantime, Riku sat at the foot of the lawn under the shade of the trees lining the back fence, silently picking at his food as he observed Sora playing host. As he watched, his mind returned to the conversation with Yen Sid. Then Riku glanced over at Sora once more, who looked happy and safe enough, and he began to worry.


	7. Fair Play

**3 Days Later**

A set of beautifully arranged hydrangeas was pushed forward on the checkout counter, where the storekeeper was bent over a shipment of roses. With his back still turned to the woman above him, he called, "do you need me to check you out," and the woman replied yes. Then, he stood and cracked his back, before standing in front of the register. The woman paying watched the man as he rung her up, smiling. "Here you are, ma'am," the clerk finally sighed, "that will be 700 munny." The woman paid for her flowers with an unconscious stare, and left in a daze when the hydrangeas were place back into her arms.

Until the last customer exited the shop, Marluxia kept his sales person smile turned to at least eighty percent. Then, as the shop closed and the employees began dissipating, his eyes trailed to the one remaining shop assistant, a cute girl in her early twenties, who was pretending to reposition some daisies. "Kala, go home," he murmured, to which the girl blushed, chirping that she was getting the flowers ready for closing time. Then, she fell silent and hurried to her bag, conveniently positioned right beneath the register, at Marluxia's feet. The man watched her as she rummaged through her purse, contemplating things. She was slight and small, with a sickly sweet personality. Though she was pale, her cheeks weren't rosy and her hair was dull brown, and perhaps worst of all, she had ugly, dirt brown eyes. But, Marluxia reasoned with himself, if he did her from behind he wouldn't have to watch her face at all.

"Is something wrong?" asked Kala, picking up her bag at a snail's pace, waiting. Marluxia chuckled. She had no idea. Her boss came off as prince charming on the outside, but being a successful businessman and employer didn't require him to nice-up his thoughts.

"You know, I think you would look very pretty with blonde hair," commented the man with a smile, and Kala's cheeks became flushed. "Maybe I could try it," She murmured, swaying. Marluxia steadied her and she blushed again. They both laughed, and Marluxia gave her a hug, inhaling her hair and wrinkling his nose.

"You smell bland." He muttered, causing Kala to look up at him with wide, chocolate brown eyes and reassure, "I can put on perfume. I have some in my bag." In response Marluxia let her go and leaned on the counter, nodding.

"What kind?"

"Sorry?"

"What kind of perfume do you have?" he asked with slow, stressed diction and Kala pulled out a little plastic bottle of body spray. "It's called 'ocean breeze'," she gushed, thrusting it forward, "from the grocer's! Do you want to smell it?" Marluxia put on a smile again and emptied the bottle from her hand. With hesitation, he took the blue, sparkly plastic lid off the bottle's cap and smelled the spray nozzle. "It smells… lovely," He enthused and Kala beamed, blushing again as she murmured thanks. Then, she looked up at Marluxia from beneath her eyelashes. Marluxia grinned in return.

"Would you like to accompany me outside?" He asked, putting his arm out for her to hold, and Kala chirped, "I'd love to!" in reply. While Kala waited in the street outside Marluxia locked up the shop. Then, turning around for the final time, Marluxia took a last look at Kala and pursed his lips, trying to decide. After several moments he finally said, "see you tomorrow," and Kala put her head down. "Alright, see you tomorrow!" She replied in false cheer. Then she began to walk home, and Marluxia stared at her as she rounded the corner of the street the flower shop lay on. A snicker resounded behind him, and as Marluxia turned around to see who was there, his eyebrows rose.

"Well, well, well. What a ladies man," mocked Larxene, her arms crossed in front of her. Grinning, Marluxia slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek, murmuring, "How have you been?" Larxene shrugged. "So-so," she sighed, before indicating the street corner Kala had turned around. "Who was that chick you were talking to?" In reply Marluxia snickered and turned his head to the side, to see if the girl was still in sight, but she was gone.

"You shouldn't have let her walk home alone, Marluxia," responded Larxene. "That was a jerk move."

"Well, maybe being raped would make her less unctuous," sneered Marluxia, and Larxene looked back in surprise. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Someone is in a shit mood."

"Oh, she was a complete turnoff."

"Everyone who wants you is a 'turn off', Marluxia."

"No!" Marluxia reasoned in reply. "You'll never guess what she did when we were in the shop." Larxene ignored him, but Marluxia continued, "I go in to kiss her, and she smells…"

"Like what? BO?"

Marluxia frowned. "I think I would've had to kill myself if she'd smelled that bad. She just smelled like… nothing!" He sneered, as if the last word were acid. Larxene chuckled.

"And then I ask her if she has perfume, and she says yes, and then guess what she takes out?"

"What did she take out, Lux?"

"She took out body spray! From the local grocer's!" groaned Marluxia, shivering. "It wasn't even flower scented! Ocean breeze? How the fuck can someone bottle 'ocean breeze'?"

As he said this Larxene cackled. "What is it?" snapped Marluxia, advancing towards her, but Larxene waved him off in dismissal.

"Gee, Marluxia. You expect so much out of women," chuckled the blonde after quieting her laughter. "The way you talk, not even _I _measure up to your standards."

Marluxia grinned as she said this and tightened his hold around her waist, running his nose along the curve of her neck. "That's not true, Larxene. You smell wonderful."

"It's Jasmine soap," ventured Larxene in return, and Marluxia chuckled.

"Jasmine. Sexual."

"I try."

Marluxia's eyes shone, and he narrowed his eyes with menace as Larxene mirrored his glance. Then he smirked at her.

"Let's do it right here, Larxene," implored the man, running his hands over Larxene's hip and trailing his thumb over her stomach. "No one's out, if we we're sneaky; we could probably get away with it. Or we could be loud. Would you rather we did that instead?"

Larxene pushed him away. "Fuck off, Marluxia. I'm not gonna be a part of one of your sick fantasies."

With a shrug, Marluxia grinned, and glanced at the sky, closing his eyes as he took in the summer breeze. "I think all of my fantasies are sound," he murmured, to which Larxene snorted. "No psycho thinks they're a psycho, Luxie." In a blissful daydream, Marluxia imagined Naminé in his lap like a child, playing with the ends of his hair. But as his memory prevailed, he opened his eyes and gnashed his teeth. "I was so close!" he whined. Larxene snorted again, knowing what he meant.

"Next time I won't be so stupid." Mumbled Marluxia to himself.

"Next time," mocked Larxene in return, circling him. "How hopeful…"

"How's yours doing?" Marluxia inquired in reply, and Larxene stopped in her tracks, forcing a smile.

"Mine?" She questioned innocently. Marluxia sniggered.

"Your 'dream'. Axel." Surprise fell over him when he noted Larxene's grin.

"He's in a bit of trouble at the moment," she sighed. Marluxia stood breathless. "What kind of trouble?"

The shadows of the street lamps played tricks on Larxene's visage as she turned to face him. The woman seemed gaunt. "Did you know he was arrested the night before last?" When Larxene said this Marluxia formed his mouth into an 'o', trying to keep from laughing.

"I called his house and it turned out that _Selphie_ was there and I asked what was wrong- you know, I put on my 'sweet' voice- and she told me the whole damn story," explained Larxene in a mocking tone. "Then she said 'but don't tell anyone.' And then she said she felt bad, and I had to promise her that it would stay with me."

"Which it didn't," Marluxia interjected, and Larxene smiled. "Xion got to her before she spilled her whole life to me and made her hang up."

"Really?" Marluxia asked, speculating, "Is she the one that is living with Naminé now?" Larxene nodded. "She doesn't trust me."

"Smart girl," Marluxia chuckled. Then he grinned, mulling things over his mind, and thought of something. "If it's the Organization Thirteen scandal, Axel will need help," he murmured.

"Are you trying for Xion, now?"

Marluxia grinned. "Who said anything about Xion?"

"Quit the ignorance game, Lux," Larxene snapped. "You wouldn't have shown so much interest in the kid if you weren't thinking about getting her in bed with you."

"You know me too well," Marluxia acquiesced. "But, that aside, Naminé is being too careful. She's got a new love interest," He added with jealousy. "Poor _Axel_ won't have anyone to protect him."

"Oh, Lux… you're not onto _Axel _now, are you?" barked Larxene. Marluxia shrugged, stroking his chin and narrowing his eyes. "I remember an interaction we had a while back… he _needed _something from me… and you should have seen his face, his body… he was very cute…" Larxene shook her head in disgust, wiping imaginary dust from her fingers and holding her hands on either side of her body.

"Well, I'm finished with him, and I think he deserves to be locked up for good," hissed the woman. "Maybe dropping the soap a few times will shut him up." Then she laughed.

In surprise, Marluxia inquired if she would testify against him. Larxene's immediate reply was a gentle smile, before she cooed, "Let's just say if anyone comes by asking questions, I won't be answering in his favor. I knew he would get what was coming to him someday. He meddled too much." The snickers that had overtaken her last few phrases descended into a cackle.

"You are a savage nymph," Marluxia chuckled in response, and pointed his finger at the sky. "It's getting dark, princess. Would you like me to walk you home?"

Larxene smiled, but slipped out of his grasp, murmuring, "I came here by myself, didn't I?" Marluxia took it as a no. "I just came here to spread the message," She drawled, and after that, she passed into shadow.

"Thank you Larxene," Marluxia murmured in cool reply. For a brief pause he pondered the conversation. But as a chill began to set in over the landscape, the man started off home.

….

Aerith sat in their living room in her pajamas with Yuffie holding her hand. It was a somber mood. Naminé had offered to fly to Midgar to get Zack released on bail, and the girl had already sent in the money to get Axel released. But the authorities were talking about keeping Zack longer. Axel was supposed to be released that evening.

There was a knock on the door and Aerith went rigid. "I'll get it," Yuffie mumbled and hurried over to the door. Sora's father rushed in hoisting various articles of paperwork against his hip as he addressed Aerith, who stood still beside the couch. A BI agent followed Sora's father inside with notepad in hand, filing near the window and standing silent as a statue.

"Are you Zack's fiancée?" Sora's father asked, and Aerith nodded. Since she did not speak further, Sora's father indicated the couch and sat across from her, emptying the pile of paperwork in front of him and folding his hands together.

With a cough, he began, "I was outraged at the carelessness that the policemen showed you when they told you of Zack's arrest," in a murmur. "We have some of the best detectives in the field and we think something dirty is going on here. I want to ask you a few questions," prompted the man further, and Aerith nodded. Everyone bar the agent with the notepad filed out of the room and the silence that pervaded with Yuffie's dismissal was painful.

"Did you know that Sephiroth might be released again?" asked Sora's father after a brief deliberation. Aerith's mouth sat open in reply, and Sora's father ran his fingers through his hair. "There's talk, he muttered with another cough, asking, "Did Zack have any enemies? Anyone that would want to frame him?"

"How did you conclude that he was framed?" Aerith responded.

"You know that the Midgar unit of the Investigation Bureau was developed in the more recent years, don't you?" replied Sora's father. "When the unit was built it was opposed by the Turks. But their interest is in Shinra, not in justice. We believe this case may plume into a battle between the Turks and the Investigation Bureau."

Aerith closed her eyes, choosing her words carefully. Then, she replied, "It makes me sad to know that my fiancé is acting as ammunition for another stupid war in the Planet," with a hiss, and Sora's father was silent for a moment before asking, "Why is Shinra trying to get Zack locked up?"

"I need to know who accused him," Aerith interjected. Sora's father sighed, "A man who calls himself Master Xehanort was very good friends with President Shinra before his assassination. Master Xehanort is the man who is driving the case against Zack."

Aerith furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Then with glazed vision she responded that she did not know who that was. "How is Sephiroth involved in this?" she added.

"The talk seems to be heading in the direction that he will become the new head of Shinra," replied Sora's father, and Aerith gasped and jumped up. "How did that happen?" she seethed. Sora's father beckoned for her to sit down, responding, "There was a board meeting amongst Shinra and its benefactors after the assassination of Rufus Shinra to decide the new head of office. Sephiroth was chosen."

"Who got Sephiroth out of jail?" Aerith asked.

"That is the thing," explained Sora's father in sudden excitement, "He is not out yet. They are revisiting the various cases brought up against him. He has already been cleared for his involvement in the construction scandal in Hollow Bastion and Shinra Electric has dropped the charges they had previously filed against him. The only thing left seems to be you."

Aerith looked up in bewilderment. "Me?" She breathed, and Sora's father nodded.

"They will be questioning the validity of your accusation of rape."

At a loss for words, Aerith stood and paced, trying not to let her anger mount. She prided herself on being calm in such situations, but the anxiety that had been plaguing her for the past three days, keeping her from sleeping or eating, constricted her throat. "Do they not believe me?" she croaked, advancing towards Sora's father, before breaking away from him and moving back around the couch. "They did the rape kit, didn't they? They know that he broke my wrists!" As she fought back tears, Sora's father sighed.

"This is a minefield, Aerith," the man attempted to allay. "The 'truth' is all shades of grey- just be honest and you can't go wrong."

Aerith wiped tears from her eyes and forced herself to sit back down again, deciding, "okay."

"The trial is being held in Midgar," Sora's father continued. "And we've arranged for you to have a meeting with Mr. Fair."

To this Aerith nodded and asked when the trail was. "It's the day after tomorrow," Sora's father muttered in apologetic response, but Aerith nodded. "I'll go whenever you want me to."

"Well, we booked a flight for you tomorrow, so you can pack tonight," Sora's father replied, "We're going to be sending over two very trustworthy gentlemen to see that you arrive there okay."

Aerith nodded through all of this, and then Sora's father coughed, getting ready to say what seemed to be the biggest thing on his mind. "And, if you don't mind, we'd like to bring you over to the Investigation Division near Midgar for more questions."

"I'll do what you want," murmured Aerith in reply. Sora's father nodded and smiled at her, before standing up and dusting himself off. "Well then I think I'll be off," he piped up, motioning to Yuffie, Leon, and Cid, who had just filed back into the living room to see that everything was okay.

Sora's father pointed to Leon and Yuffie, calling them forward. "You two would be valuable witnesses in the case, too," he murmured. Yuffie bent her head and Leon nodded for himself and her. Then Sora's father said his goodbyes and disappeared out the door, where a car was waiting for him and his agent, who trailed behind scribbling in his notebook. They spoke with each other as they reached the car and Yuffie watched them drive off. Then she smiled and sat down beside Aerith, asking, "what did he say?"

"I'm going to Midgar tomorrow," Aerith sighed.

"He's doing everything he can for Zack," mumbled Cid, "It's wonderful that we have a man like him on our side."

Aerith smiled, nodding. Then, with creased brow, she whispered, "Sometimes I wonder if this is the way it's always going to be with Zack," while Leon held her hand. "What are you talking about?" He asked, but Aerith chuckled. "Me always waiting on him… maybe I'm just not meant to be happy," She added in a murmur, and bent her head over. She began to cry. Leon looked forward, enraged.

"It's Sephiroth, isn't it?" He snarled, and Aerith took his face in her hands, hugging him. "Don't get angry," She whispered, and Leon wiped at his eyes, growling, "He haunts you like a ghost!" as Aerith tried to laugh, forcing a smile. Then, it faded. "I'm afraid," she whispered, her hands clinging to the sides of Leon's jacket. With a firm grip, Leon grabbed her hands and placed his own over them, looking her straight in the eyes. "I'll protect you!" he promised. Then, the phone rang and Yuffie bounded into the kitchen, picked it up, and brought it out to Aerith.

"It's Naminé. She's asking if you want to come over for dinner. Everyone's gonna be there."

Aerith sucked in a breath and smiled. "Yes, I think that would be wonderful!" she chirped, and trudged out of the living room towards the stairs, turning towards Yuffie at the last moment and asking if she'd help her get ready. In reply Yuffie nodded with vigor, flying up the stairs after Aerith and into her bedroom. When Leon was sure that Yuffie and Aerith were out of earshot he collapsed onto the couch and put his head in his hands. "Damn!" he hissed, but Cid stood silently to the side. "They're going to tear her to pieces in that court," muttered the old man.

"How could they?" Leon asked.

"I think we're on the verge of entering something much bigger than ourselves," explained Cid in response, but Leon scowled.

"It's corporate suicide letting Sephiroth lead Shinra!" he snapped. Cid shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe he's smarter than you realize, Squall."

"Don't call me that!" sulked Leon, turning away and leaning against the back of the couch cushions, but Cid jumped up and grabbed him by the shirt. "Listen, Leon," the old man growled, prodding Leon in the chest with severe jabs, "I know what happens when you start acting like this, but you getting all angry is not gonna help Aerith anymore than it's gonna help the police solve the case! You're not a damn hero!" he added, but Leon looked away in defiance. "You couldn't save anyone! You still can't," Cid added in gruff reply. "I can't sit by and watch," murmured Leon in response, but Cid reasoned, "Then hold your arms out for her," to which Leon nodded. Then he chuckled in sadness, muttering, "It's too bad. Zack was supposed to be the hero." Cid sighed and shook his head. "Zack comes around when things are easy, but then he's gone!" the old man growled. Leon looked up in astonishment. "Do you not trust him?" asked the young man, but Cid sighed again, rubbing his temple. "Sometimes I wish that she hadn't fallen in love with him. Things would have been easier."

At this Leon nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, adding in a mumble, "But you don't know that," although Cid didn't hear him. Both men heard Yuffie's voice getting closer, and when they looked to the top of the stairs, Aerith was descending them dressed in a long, blue chiffon waist high skirt and shirt, and she was washed and gleamed, though the rings under her eyes were severe.

"You look pretty, Aerith," Leon murmured, and Aerith smiled. "I'm afraid I look flushed. Do you think that I should put some make up on?" She added, but Cid snorted, saying, "You're too pretty for make-up!" Then he bowed to her and looked up, bellowing, "Besides, in my time, only whores wore make up!"

"Alright, Cid," He interjected, maneuvering the old man back towards the computer room amidst tired chuckles. "Let's get you back upstairs. Are you finished with the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee stuff?" Cid grumbled about having to do a little more and Leon smiled back at Aerith as he led the man upstairs. "She should have fallen in love with you," Cid mumbled to himself as they rounded the corner into the office, but Leon asked him to repeat himself because he hadn't quite heard him. "I was just saying that she looked pretty," Cid snapped in response.

As Yuffie locked the front door behind them Aerith tried fixing her hair. Since Yuffie could not persuade Aerith to take off her pink hair ribbon, she had instead covered it with a blue one as best as she could. One of the pink corners peeked through, though, like a little bud under the snow. "You can sleep on the train," Yuffie offered, and Aerith nodded in absentmindedness as they walked past the city square. "It's getting prettier here every day," she commented, and Yuffie nodded, replying, "Yeah, they're really fixing the place up, aren't they? They're supposed to be getting more shops. There's gonna be a bakery."

Aerith nodded to herself, murmuring, "Fresh bread."

The ladies walked into the train station and Yuffie bought them tickets. "I heard that Naminé has really fixed up the mansion," piped up the girl, and Aerith chuckled. Suddenly, her chest felt sore, and black dots swam like tadpoles in front of her vision. She only realized that she had swayed when Yuffie gasped and caught her, clinging to her sides so that she would not fall. "Are you alright?" asked the brunette in alarm, but Aerith nodded in dismissal. "I'm fine. I just felt dizzy. I'll sleep on the train. I was awake the whole night," She confessed.

"Our train is here," Yuffie mumbled as it chugged towards them. As they boarded the car Yuffie looked out the window in anxiety while Aerith slept, her head rested on Yuffie's shoulder. After what seemed like a moments for Aerith and hours for Yuffie, her companion nudged Aerith's shoulder and whispered, "we're here." Opening her eyes slowly, Aerith shielded her vision against the bright sunset of Twilight Town and stood up, trying not to sway from sleep. Clutching her side, Yuffie held her as they hopped of the train, noticing in relief that Xion was at the top of the station staircase, waiting for them. When she saw Yuffie's expression, though, Xion ran over and slipped her arm around Aerith's waist, putting her other arm around her shoulder. "If she's feeling bad she can sleep on one of our beds,' offered Xion and Yuffie nodded, questioning, "What are your beds like?" Xion chuckled. "It's like sleeping on heaven, they're some kind of special expensive bed," she added. "At least you've got the money to spare," complained Yuffie. In response, Xion laughed and Aerith felt herself brightening.

But sudden despondence trapped Xion for a brief moment, though she hid it with a smile, chuckling, "Well, when you're not used to it you get nervous sometimes."

"What do you mean?" implored Yuffie. Xion shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if our pasts will reach out to grab us, you probably wouldn't-"

Yuffie stopped her, dramatic determination lining her features. "I know how you feel… sometimes I feel as though I'm so mysterious, maybe even dangerous… it scares me sometimes… what I may be capable of," murmured the girl with starry eyes, looking on the horizon. Xion shrugged, muttering, "Yeah, well, that too..." Then their house came into view, and Xion bounded up the path that lead to the front gate. When she rang the doorbell Pence opened it and beamed. "Hi!"

"Is the food ready yet?" Xion asked. "Not quite yet," replied Pence, despondent, but then his face brightened and he led them inside. Yuffie gasped as she looked around. The mansion used to be a common hideout for city kids until the gate's lock actually worked and a ghost was cited peering through the curtains. Now, the walls were pearly white and there were white flowers everywhere. It seemed a pleasant dream. "Beautiful," Aerith worded as she looked around, and then Naminé emerged from the kitchen. "Dinner!" She chirped.

"Naminé, I'm sorry to be rude, but I can't eat," breathed Aerith, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the different dishes, but Naminé glanced towards the woman's trembling hands.

"You're very pale," She responded, trying, "Would you like to sleep?" Aerith nodded in relief.

After being led into the guest bedroom, Aerith sunk into the double bed, sighing with delight and plumping up a pillow. Putting her head against the soft silken white covers of the bed, Aerith closed her eyes with a smile, and Xion popped her head in as Naminé departed for the kitchen.

"I think that I'll eat and then head back to the house to pack our bags. I'll come back after that. Would you mind if she stayed the night?" Yuffie asked Xion, who nodded. "She can stay as long as she likes."

Moments later, Naminé bounded back into the bedroom with a package in her hands. "Here's a little something that we all made. She deserves a helping hand," breathed the girl in explanation as she set the package beside the bed, and Yuffie stared at her with teary eyes. "Why are you so damn sweet?" she grumbled, before trudging over and embracing Naminé. "I… don't know?" tried Naminé in response. Then Yuffie pulled out of the hug and barked, "Let's eat some grub!" The room that Naminé had occupied under DiZ's reign had been converted to the dining room, and smelling the food from its quarters, Yuffie barked in excitement and charged down the stairs towards it. As Yuffie disappeared around the corner of the railing, Naminé held Xion's shoulder and peered up at her.

"Did I do well?" she whispered, and Xion chuckled. "Of course you did, Naminé. You always do." Naminé stood for a minute, motionless, and then she hugged Xion and flew into the kitchen. Xion leaned against the wall, thinking about Naminé, and Axel, and Roxas. Then, she mumbled, "No one believes in themselves," and trudged downstairs.

…

The next morning everyone was up early to wish Yuffie and Aerith goodbye. Leon came by at nine to make sure they got off okay and grouped all their bags together while Naminé made a big breakfast that Aerith could not eat. Instead, Yuffie boiled a small pot of oatmeal and Aerith ate it plain. Accompanying Aerith's party to the airport were Naminé and Xion, with Pence trailing a couple of feet behind until Naminé turned to him and whispered that it was "kind of a personal trip". In response, Pence nodded and asked if they all wanted a picture together. After a short bout of hesitation, though, they all decided that yes, they wanted a picture, and huddled up for an awkward photo where very one half smiled. Then Pence gave a final farewell and parted from them as they reached the train station. Their journey led them to the outskirts of the airport, where they boarded a shuttle that transported them to the building conglomeration's entrance.

After checking on their bags, passing through security, and boarding the plane, the party seated themselves on the flight to Midgar in first class. On either side of her, Yuffie and Leon held her hands as Aerith tried to sleep, while Yuffie looked out the plane window in intrigue and Leon kept his eyes shut and his vomit bag close to his heart. When the flight was finished and the first few passengers had exited the plane, Leon bolted out of his seat, hoisted their carry on bags over his shoulders, and dashed out of the transportation device and into arrivals, where Sora's father was waiting for them with two agents. The whole party was escorted into a sleek black BI van parked outside the entrance by the black clad chauffer, also an agent. Sora's father talked with bright humor in a car of silence. "Where would you like to go to lunch?" the man asked, turning his head from one passenger to the next with a smile. "There's a bar called the 7th Heaven that is real nice," he tried, but Aerith blinked up in shock, her red-rimmed eyes widening while Sora's father's smile disappeared and he shrugged. "We can always go nicer. There's a lovely restaurant a block away from the BI unit."

"We can go to the 7th Heaven," Aerith piped up, and Sora's father nodded with enthusiasm, telling the chauffer directions. Aerith watched the old Midgar she knew disappear into her memory as she stared out the window. Amidst blasted concrete ruins and gnarls of metal, flowers and new buildings sprouted up, glinting against the rising sun. "It's so different," she murmured and Sora's father nodded, smiling and looking out the window himself. As they drew ever nearer to the 7th Heaven Aerith's heart began to beat fast, and when the party pulled up before its porch, she hopped out of the car after Yuffie and Leon. Her stomach grumbled from lack of food, but though dizzy spells plagued her, she hurried up to the entrance door and peeked inside, frowning in puzzlement. The place was near empty and there was no sign of Tifa or Cloud, her old friends. Sora's father opened the door for her and she tiptoed inside, looking around in confusion at the silence. Usually, Tifa would chat with the guests, but the servers milling about now drew past their customers like ghosts, disinterested.

"Is the owner away?" Aerith wondered aloud, but Sora's father shook his head and pointed to a woman serving some guests in the back. "That's her."

Aerith furrowed her brows. The woman had short auburn hair that she tucked behind her ear as she scribbled the table's orders in a little blue notepad she held in her hand. "That's not Tifa Lockhart," mumbled Aerith. Sora's father chuckled. "Tifa's been gone for a while now," murmured the man in response. "She disappeared a while back on a research mission and hasn't returned."

As those words fell against Aerith's ears, her heart sank and in grief she held Yuffie's hand. "And Cloud?" she asked. Sora's father nodded, indicating that the same had befallen him. "I shouldn't have come here," Aerith murmured, squeezing Yuffie's hand without noticing. Sora's father asked if she wanted to eat somewhere else and she said yes. Once they reached the next location, an Italian restaurant near the bureau with a brighter atmosphere, Aerith began to feel better. She ordered eggplant Parmesan and lemonade, chancing tiramisu afterwards. Yuffie finished her own meal, pizza and cake, in a matter of seconds, and Leon and Sora's father ordered coffee and spoke about the Investigation Bureau as she folded her napkin into shapes of animals. Sora's father suggested that the group visit the new art museum that lay on the outskirts of Midgar, to prove the city's improving culture. He spoke of the exhibits on the way there, and when the cars reached the front gates and the group ascended the steps leading to the museum entrance, the man only had to show the lobbyist his badge and the party was permitted inside for free.

"Kind of like Shinra, huh?" Yuffie muttered as they walked inside, but Leon squeezed her arm to get her to be quiet. Wandering away from the rest of the group, Aerith eventually found herself in the ancient art section with another sole explorer. Once the remaining viewer had moved onto a different exhibit, his padding footsteps echoing as he exited the hall, Aerith was left alone to her thoughts. Surrounding her were cave drawings and copies of Cetra pictographs from the Temple of the Ancients and other archeological sites. There was even historical art from regions miles away, stretching as far as Pulse and Gestahlia. Aerith smiled as she glanced about.

At once her name was called and Aerith whizzed around, noticing Yuffie coming towards her with a big grin on her face. "They're going to give us a tour of the Investigation Bureau headquarters!" the girl whispered, and Aerith's smile faded. But she nodded and followed Yuffie back to the building entrance, where Leon and Sora's father were waiting on them. The group returned to their car and drove to the Midgar BI unit where Zack Fair was being held for questioning. Once there, they were given a tour of the facilities and Aerith was given leave to speak with Zack. She was allowed thirty minutes with him.

Led to the bottom floor with Sora's father at her side, Aerith sucked in a deep breath as she traveled down a long hall to a line of cells. Zack's was the one on the far left, and he lay huddled against the back wall of the cell on a small, elevated mattress. His face was scratched and his eye was blackened, causing a gasp to escape Aerith's throat as she caught glimpse of him, running towards him and hugging him tightly when she was let inside his chamber. "What happened to you?" she murmured, but Zack chuckled, rubbing at his eye. "I've made a few enemies now that I killed Rufus. Apparently he was the guy that was going to make everything better."

"Can't they switch you to a different cell?" complained Aerith. "They already have," Zack replied. "I'm in solitary confinement for my own safety." Aerith put her head in her hands as Zack patted her hair. "I don't even know what went wrong. One minute I was being told the ropes at the BI unit and the next minute I'm being arrested," the dark haired man chuckled in bewilderment. Sora's father frowned at him, murmuring, "You had extensive contact with Rufus." Zack looked up in anger. "Rufus contacted me and I went to speak with him. I think it was an inside job," he added, while Sora's father pursed his lips.

Then Zack turned his face to Aerith and held her cheeks in his hands, smiling at her. "It'll be fine," he murmured. A shadow passed over his eyes and he held her harder and kissed her while Sora's father permitted them time alone, leaving the cell while they spoke further on the trial and their wedding. When the thirty minutes were done, Sora's father returned and Aerith stood. "We'll be late for our dinner reservation," muttered Sora's father, and Aerith's throat tightened in disgust. "I can't eat," she hissed, but Zack squeezed her hand and made her look at him. "You have to eat, Aerith," he snapped, "You can't go to court on an empty stomach."

"I feel as if I might vomit if I do," she whined, but Zack shook his head, muttering, "Better that than fainting," in reply. Sora's father held Aerith by the shoulder and she kissed Zack once more before turning and leaving.

Dinner was hosted in a four star restaurant and their desert led them to a gelato shop nearby. Then, the party was returned to their sleeping arrangements, located in a luxury suite on the top floor of the premier hotel overlooking the city. As Yuffie jumped from one double bed to the other, Aerith sat by the window staring ahead. The lights of the city beneath her twinkled in reds, blues, and greens, blending and separating before her eyes, surrounded by black. The sunset was blocked by the smoky haze that rose up through the region, painting it a tone greyer than it should have been. The sound of Yuffie's excited giggles rose in Aerith's ears until she snapped. "Yuffie!" she shouted and Yuffie stopped jumping, plopping down on one of the beds in shock. Then, the girl mumbled an apology and scurried into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. After watching the bathroom door for a few moments, Aerith sighed and put her head in her hands. She felt sick, but she knew she would not throw up because her dinner choice had been light. Her arms still shook.

Yuffie returned from the bathroom with her teeth brushed and her pajamas on. "Are you going to go to bed, Aerith?" she asked and Aerith nodded, tearing herself away from the window and putting her own pajamas on. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair, looking in the mirror as she did so. The woman staring back was exhausted and scared. "Get yourself together," she sighed, smoothing her brows and exiting the room. Yuffie had already fallen asleep, but Aerith tapped her on the shoulder with hesitance. Her companion opened one eye, half awake. "Would you mind if I slept with you?" whispered Aerith, but Yuffie just shrugged, rolling over and going back to sleep. After creeping in beside her, Aerith turned back towards the window. She fell asleep watching the skyline, but the next time she opened her eyes, it was dawn and she lay restless. Trying to return to sleep, she concentrated on the mountains deep in the distance behind the city and imagined them as green forests. But her eyes darted back and forth over the city skyline and she could not rest, instead lying with her eyes shut for another hour until the sun rose. When the dream of sleep was impossible, Aerith got out of bed and began preparing for the trial, getting her clothes together and going into the bathroom to have a shower. Afterwards she dried her hair, put makeup on, pulled on her dress suit, and looked at herself in the mirror once more. She appeared put-together. Then, nodding and leaving the bathroom, Aerith repacked all of their things.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Aerith stood from her packing to look through the peephole. It was Leon. As Aerith let him in, he nodded to her in greeting before hurrying over and shaking Yuffie, who whined and slumped off the end of the bed.

"Yuffie, we're running late, get ready fast," Leon snapped and Yuffie nodded, wandering into the bathroom. Once the shower water stopped running Aerith ventured inside to make sure Yuffie was making herself presentable. She blow dried Yuffie's hair and made sure that she had a nice outfit to wear. "You need to look credible, Yuffie," she breathed, putting some makeup on her. On a normal occasion Yuffie would have struggled through the ordeal, but this time her eyes were held wide open and her lips were pursed with nervousness. Leon sat on one of the beds until Yuffie was out of the bathroom and they finished packing. Once they'd gotten all of their bags together they left their room and checked out in the lobby, and Leon glanced at his watch with furrowed brows.

"Sora's dad should have been here by now," he muttered. A few minutes later, the young man breathed a sigh of relief as a familiar BI van pulled up in front of the glass lobby doors and Sora's father jogged into the building and helped Leon with the bags. The chauffer distributed their luggage to the back of the car as the passengers got inside. Then, they began their journey to the Midgar BI unit. Sora's father checked his watch. "We've got two hours before the trial," he murmured, looking back at Aerith. "I will have three of my agents coach you on the questions the lawyer will ask during the trial. We will also ask you the anticipated questions of the prosecution. You will meet and chat with the lawyer briefly and then the first half of your portion of the trial will commence. There will be a lunch break and then the trial will continue until its supposed end of six o'clock. After this, we will go to dinner and you will be put on the eight o'clock flight to Twilight Town. Savvy?" he added. The whole party nodded and Sora's father smiled. "We have a busy day ahead of us, but you're all in good hands."

...

Aerith sat outside the courtroom with Yuffie and Leon awaiting trial, but stood as Sora's father walked over with their attorney. The party shook hands. "You remember Mr. Wallace, Aerith?" Sora's father asked, and Mr. Wallace gave a spirited hello. "Yes, of course," replied Aerith, to which Mr. Wallace sat her down and patted her knee. "Like I said before, it's gonna get tough in there and I don't want you backing down," he prepped, ending with encouragement, "Show those fiends what you've got!" But Aerith was still afraid. In her peripheral vision she noticed a tall, tan man with red-rimmed sunglasses and a black suit peering at her. When she _really _looked, though, lowering her head and eyeing him closer, she noticed that he was not watching her, but Sora's father, who was standing beside her, incognizant.

Returning her gaze to Mr. Wallace, Aerith's eyes fell to the double doors at the front of the building. But when they opened, her throat closed and she found it difficult to breathe. Leon emitted a low growl and Yuffie sucked in a deep breath as Sephiroth waltzed through the tall double doors leading into the building with an uncharacteristically smug look on his face. Beside him walked a bent, tan, bald old man with dark rimmed yellow eyes that scanned their surroundings with a piercing gaze. As they made their way towards the courtroom, he whispered to Sephiroth, but when his eyes fell on Aerith his mouth shut and he smoothed his bald head before walking towards the party. When upon them he addressed Sora's father, gravel rolling off his tongue as he growled hello. Sora's father echoed his greeting with curt diction, and the men shook hands before the old man returned his behind his back and folded his palms. "You are the head of the Investigation Bureau, am I correct?" he asked and Sora's father nodded. The old man smiled and bowed in response, murmuring, "It is a pleasure." Sora's father bowed in return, and they stood and shook hands again. "You will make this world a better place to inhabit," added the older man, patting Sora's father on the shoulder. Sora's father replied with a smile.

"What brings you here?" inquired the bald man, and Sora's father snapped in return, "I am here on behalf of Aerith," adding, "we don't want the courts to insult her by calling her a liar." To this, the older man raised his brows and chuckled, glancing at Sephiroth. Then he trained his eyes on Aerith, murmuring, "Good luck," before he returned his gaze to Sora's father. "I have no manners, I am Master Xehanort." He introduced. Sora's father nodded, adding, "I know. You are widely respected," and Xehanort chortled. "That is flattering."

Then he turned again, gripping his cane, and returned to Sephiroth, calling, "Well, the trial is about to begin. Would you all care to enter?" In return Sora's father pursed his lips and nodded, patting Aerith on the shoulder, while Xehanort glanced from one to the other. "Will she not sit in the witness room?" he asked.

"Yes, she just needs a minute," replied Sora's father and Xehanort chuckled. "I see." Then, he traveled inside the courtroom with Sephiroth. Their lawyer, a wiry, rat faced man with narrow beady eyes, followed moments later, taking a brief look at Aerith before hurrying into the courtroom behind his clients. As Sora's father patted her on the back, the tightness in Aerith's throat subsided.

"You should probably make your way towards the witness room, Aerith," he murmured, to which Aerith nodded and stood, as Sora's father departed her side and filed into the courtroom after the incoming crowd. Yuffie and Leon hugged Aerith, smiling big as they walked towards the room adjacent to the court. "It'll be fine!" Yuffie whispered, but Aerith stared ahead. As she sat down within the tapioca colored room she breathed in and out deeply and clenched and unclenched her fists, faster first then gradually slower like she always did when she was nervous. Then she remembered Naminé's present.

It was a card addressed to Aerith with a picture inside it taken at the party they'd had two years ago, the one where Aerith had announced her engagement. Everyone was included, and they were all smiling, and inside the card they had autographed and put little notes. She read out every single one. Naminé's was last.

'_Dear Aerith, _

_I know that things are looking cloudy right now, but don't worry. Instead of thinking of the bad, I would hope you look at this picture instead. This picture is the future. I want you to know that everything will be all right if you believe in yourself and in the people that love you. And we all do! _

_Naminé'_

After Naminé's name everyone had signed theirs beside, underneath, and around the note, and Aerith laughed to herself as she looked at the signatures. Yuffie peeked over her shoulder as she stared at the note and smiled. Then, the door to the witness room opened and Aerith's gaze was drawn up to a portly yetserious looking official, who was pointing to a man seated in the back of the room. He trudged into the courtroom and towards the witness box. Ages passed before Yuffie was called in. After another agonizing wait she returned with her head bent low and Leon was called in her place. He returned a while later with his hands clenched into fists. He sat down away from Aerith and looked out the window.

"Aerith Gainsborough," the court official grumbled, and Aerith's hands tightened around her paper as she put it back into her handbag. Then, she filed into the courtroom behind the official.

When Aerith stepped up to the witness box and took an oath of honesty she couldn't help but glance over at her lawyer. Mr. Wallace was sweating and looked tired. Aertith recalled Yuffie and Leon. Then Mr. Wallace stood up, took a deep breath, and walked over to her.

"Aerith, how long have you known Sephiroth?" Mr. Wallace asked. "About twelve years," Aerith replied. "Is that when you first began a relationship with him?" Aerith nodded. "It didn't last long, did it?" Mr. Wallace elaborated, and Aerith shook her head. "Why?" asked the lawyer. Aerith looked at her hands to keep from attracting Sephiroth's gaze. "He hurt me."

"He did that a lot, didn't he?" replied Mr. Wallace. Aerith nodded. "Did he rape you at that time, Aerith?" Mr. Wallace continued, but Sephiroth's lawyer jumped up. "Objection, irrelevant," he snapped. The judge nodded. "Sustained."

Mr. Wallace nodded and moved on to the most recent event. He asked her to relate exactly what had happened the day she'd been raped. Then he went into Sephiroth's character. Aerith could not help but feel Sephiroth's gaze on her back as she spoke, but she forced herself not to look in his direction. Then, she sighed, and relayed everything that she could remember, trying not to falter on the parts that had made her cry before. Her attorney nodded after she stopped speaking, murmuring, "That will be all," before returning to his seat. Yet as Aerith sighed, she realized to late that she had merely survived the easy part.

After her attorney was seated comfortably, Sephiroth's lawyer stood, smoothing his slicked hair back as he sauntered towards Aerith. When he reached five feet from her chair, he pointed in her direction with a dismissive gesture, turning away from her so that everyone would see whom he was indicating.

"What do you see when you look at this woman?" he inquired of the jury. "She looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. But is she really that good? Or is she just a very good liar? A jealous woman getting revenge on an innocent man?" then he turned around to look at her with narrowed eyes.

"The day that she _claimed_ to be raped she was inside her home waiting for a friend. The man whom she feared- who had even _beat _her before, so _she_ says, had called her numerous times, but she didn't tell anyone because, as she put it," the man chuckled, picking up a sheet of paper and reading off of it, "she didn't want to be a bother to her friends." He looked up again, setting the paper down. "There were many witnesses to the 'assault.' Her current fiancé, who is going on trial for the murder of our beloved Rufus Shinra, her fellow female housemate, a notorious thief, and her former house mate, and man just a few years younger than her _living _with her," He added, pausing. Then, the man turned to face her, still pointing at her face, his beady eyes squinted and his lips curled back.

"Let me tell you about this woman." He pontificated, and the jury listened. "Let me tell you about her past."

…..

As the courtroom doors opened the crowd within burst out, gossiping amongst themselves as they started to their cars. By the time the major crowd had gone, nine people remained in the courtroom. Among them were Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, Sora's father, and their attorney.

On the other side of the room a man was shaking hands with Sephiroth, congratulating him. Sephiroth thanked him and when the man went out the door Xehanort patted Sephiroth on the back. Mr. Wallace patted Aerith's shoulder, apologizing. Yuffie was crushed. "I shouldn't have stolen all that stuff," She mumbled, gulping back tears, but in reply Leon mumbled, "They would've figured something out. And you did it when you were a kid; it wasn't like you stole anything valuable," trying to console her. While Yuffie tried not to cry Sora's father turned Mr. Wallace away from the party to speak privately with him. "The jury was handpicked," he growled, "I thought we were going to choose half and they were going to choose half."

Mr. Wallace nodded. "We did! And we reviewed the judge that they picked! He was squeaky clean!"

"Who informed you about him?" Sora's father snapped in return, causing Mr. Wallace to stare at his feet. "Well, Master Xehanort did," blubbered the man, backtracking, "The judge was a trusted board member." Sora's father put his hand to his forehead while Mr. Wallace held up his own palms in defense. "But this wasn't the important trial. If he picks the judge for this trial we pick the judge for Mr. Fair's!"

"Well it's a pity you won't be working with us on the Zack Fair trial," Sora's father shot back. Mr. Wallace's face went right red as he gasped in disbelief. "I'm one of the highest paid lawyers in this region!" he stuttered, but Sora's father shrugged and stayed silent. In reply, Mr. Wallace narrowed his eyes, snapping, "You have made a big mistake," before trudging out the front double doors of the building with eyes trained straight ahead. Sora's father watched him as he left before signaling to the agents that had accompanied Aerith throughout the Midgar visit. As the men reached his side, Sora's father murmured that they track his phone, adding, "See whom he calls and where he goes." The two men nodded and parted ways with the Chief, and as they hurried out the front double doors after Mr. Wallace, Aerith caught sight of the young man with red-rimmed sunglasses standing near the entrance. As the BI agents disappeared outside, he followed. But Aerith's attention was redirected when Sora's father shook her shoulder. "Aerith, are you all right?" he asked in worry, but Aerith pointed to the door, still in a daze from the trial. "That boy... followed your men out..." she mumbled.

Sora's father glanced towards the door but saw no one. Then he shrugged and smiled at Aerith. "My agents are very good," he explained, "If anyone is tailing them, they'll catch him."

…

Master Xehanort put his hand around Sephiroth's shoulder and chuckled, receiving a responding glance from Sephiroth as they prepared to go outside. "Are you ready for the paparazzi?" the old man joked, and Sephiroth grinned. The minute the double doors of the building opened the pair were overtaken by a mass of earnest, wide-eyed reporters.

"Sephiroth, what happened inside the court room?" they screamed at him. "The honest man won today," Xehanort replied, and the reporters went crazy.

"Can you tell us what happened?" They shouted. "Is it true that the woman was a prostitute that Sephiroth refused?" Sephiroth grinned, but Xehanort shook his head. "She was not a prostitute. Ask our lawyer the specifics."

"Xehanort, why do you support Sephiroth in his sudden surge to power and good fortune?"

"Sephiroth is a fallen hero, like myself," replied Xehanort. " A man wronged should have the chance to start anew."

While the reporters continued, Sephiroth's lawyer trotted down the stairs towards them and put his arms around his clients' shoulders. "How about a picture?" he asked, and dozens of cameras flashed. Then, the lawyer patted his men on the back and winked. "I'll take care of the rest."

"I am putting my faith in you," responded Xehanort, away from the crowd, adding, "Do not fail." The lawyer's face went pale, though he smiled. "It'll be fine," he muttered in response. "Trust me." Xehanort did not respond, but the crowd pushed closer, thrusting their microphones out in front of them. A path was cleared as Xehanort tapped his cane on the ground, and he and Sephiroth crossed through the mass of cameras on either side of them. Their car waited for them a few yards off.

"Mr. Silver, what words just passed between you and Master Xehanort?" one of the reporters chanced, but Xehanort's lawyer grinned. "Can't an old man say thank you in private without everyone wondering about it?" The whole crowd laughed. Mr. Silver's tongue was sharp and warm as blood.

"How do you feel about the woman that accused Sephiroth?"

Mr. Silver sighed and put on a serious face, looking back out at them all. "I feel… sorry for her."

"Is it true that she was having an affair with a man living with her half her age?"

Mr. Silver snickered. "Four years younger. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here_._" Aerith and her party hurried out behind him, shielding their faces with their coats, but they became trapped in a sea of microphones and shouted questions. Aerith looked like she would faint and her arms shook violently, but Leon pushed through the crowd as Yuffie waved her hands in front of every picture taken of them. When they finally reached their car, they drove off without a word.

As he looked back at Mr. Silver Master Xehanort chuckled. "A little more exaggeration would have been nice," Sephiroth snapped, and Xehanort frowned, murmuring, "The papers will take care of that, Sephiroth." Sephiroth ignored him. "Why didn't you let me say something?" He added in disgust. "You miss the point, Sephiroth," Xehanort intoned, "We mustn't paint ourselves the villains. Be patient."

"The Investigation Bureau will find out about Hojo's experimentation soon. They will search Shinra Mansion, I'm sure." Xehanort added with a chuckle, but Sephiroth's head snapped up. "There are files on Nibelheim in there," He breathed and Xehanort looked over at him in alert. "What?" he snapped "Is there something that you have refrained from telling me?" Sephiroth looked away.

"Are you aware that my ambassadoris traveling there as we speak?"

"The kid?" Sephiroth blurted out. Xehanort stared at him. "I just wondered if he had a name," mumbled Sephiroth.

"Only I know that boy's name," Xehanort responded, "He is taking care of files."

"Is he going to burn the mansion?" asked Sephiroth in excitement. Xehanort snorted and responded no.

"Won't the kid leave evidence?" Sephiroth hissed.

"He has a gift for disappearing. He has never disappointed me. But we will find out about Nibelheim when we return home."

"Have the files at Shinra been taken care of?" Sephiroth asked, but Xehanort shook his head.

"The vital ones have been removed."

"Where to?" Sephiroth tried, but Xehanort chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Later, Sephiroth." The reporters took pictures of their car as they drove by.

…

**2 Days Later**

Axel sat at the kitchen table in his father's house sifting through stacks of old files he had kept from Organization Thirteen. Gouging his disinterest in the paperwork, he sighed to himself, rubbing his tired eyes. For a week he had been trying to scrap together something for his upcoming case. Spending the night in a jail cell after Aerith's last party had filled him with fear.

"You will need a lawyer, and witnesses," a policeman had drawled to him at the station after he refused to talk. The next day he was released on a high bail paid by Naminé. Axel didn't know where he would find a lawyer, but had only impressed his anxiety upon Naminé because she was the first person in hearing distance. Axel had made so many enemies in Organization Thirteen that he doubted any of them would help him. But Larxene _did _like him. Then again, she also hated him. And despite being Kairi's boyfriend, Demyx was a notorious coward.

"Some things don't change, Axel," he muttered. He could count on Organization Thirteen to stay the same. A state lawyer had represented him in the last corruption case, but things would be different now that he was the accused. Letting the state provide him a lawyer at a time like this would be like sentencing himself to a life behind bars without trial.

As Axel rubbed his face once more, the doorbell rang. In slight fear the man jumped out of his seat and slunk to the front of the house, peeking through the wide window in the living room. A girl dressed in white with a sun hat waited outside, a handbag held in front of her. "Naminé," Axel muttered, and as he opened the door the pale blonde turned to him and beamed, crying, "I've got you a lawyer!" as she stepped inside and removed her cap. Axel stood puzzled as she draped it over an armchair. "What?" he asked and Naminé smiled.

"He's on his way from Pulse!" she giggled, waggling her finger at him, "So keep your evening open." Then she sighed. "Pulse sure is a force to be recognized with. Their law school, their military academy, their art school..." Axel smiled at her. "Did you get in?" he asked. Naminé bent her head, worrying Axel, before throwing her arms around herself in delight. "I got my acceptance letter today! It's terrifyingly expensive but I'll pay for it. Xion doesn't know what she wants yet," she sighed and sat in front of the window in the living room, peering out at Disney City. "She's got some offers, but she's scared for some reason."

Axel snorted, muttering, "Xion's never been in one place for so long," while Naminé peered at him with narrowed eyes. Then she shrugged. "Well anyway," she sighed, "He's a renowned lawyer from Academia. He's never lost a case!" In relief Axel sighed, murmuring a thank you, and Naminé hugged herself. There was silence before Axel stared up at her from under his eyelashes and murmured, "Naminé, you're a dream come true," Though Naminé looked away; Axel pursued her gaze in sudden distress. "Why are you being so nice to me?" snapped the red head, standing up and looming over Naminé, who cowered back in shock. She hesitated speaking, stuttering, "Because I like you, Axel! You're a friend," to which Axel's shoulders relaxed and he chuckled, looking up to the ceiling. Then he reached out to kiss one of her fingers. At the touch she recoiled, folding her hands in her lap and returning her gaze outside.

Before returning to the kitchen to sort paperwork, Axel stood in slight shock. Then, after he had shuffled to the dinner table and gotten himself resituated, Naminé stood from her seat and wandered beside the man, peering over his shoulder at the pages in front of him. "Have you got any potential witnesses?" she chirped, to which Axel shrugged. "Basically all of Organization Thirteen bar Xemnas. I also told this old guy in an antique shop about my past. He's my best bet, if that tells you anything," he added with a dark chuckle and Naminé raised an eyebrow, trying, "We can talk to Sora's dad!"

Axel frowned. "Sora's dad doesn't like me. I think he knows about... He wouldn't help me," he stated. Naminé looked at Axel closely, before bending down beside him and grinning in shock and realization.

"Did you go out with Sora?" she gaped.

Axel put his hand on his forehead. "Don't tell anyone else that. Sora wanted to keep it between us. Well, I wanted to keep it between us and he agreed."

"Why?" asked Naminé, but Axel shrugged. "This is going to sound really bad, but I didn't want to antagonize Riku, not before I, well, got to _know _him better," he mumbled with a sheepish grin. Naminé stared at him with a stoic expression before shaking her head. "You cannot act like yourself in court."

Axel refused. "I was unapologetic last time, and I'll be unapologetic this time. I'm not gonna change to suit the courts."

"Everyone else does that!" Naminé snapped in reply, making Axel stand in indignation. "I'm not a liar!" he barked, but Naminé narrowed her eyes. "Hey- meddling is different," the red head explained. "I trick people but I don't lie."

"Xemnas' court case is today," responded Naminé after a brief pause, "It'll be on the news at 6 if he gets out or not. You may still have a chance," She added. Axel shook his head in disgust. "Out at 6 and meeting me at 7 in the police office," he chuckled as he stood and paced, "They're sure of themselves."

Naminé nodded her head, growing despondent. "I called Aerith a few nights ago to ask her how her case went. Yuffie answered," she mumbled. Axel's face brightened as he offered, "Oh yeah? She won?" but Naminé shook her head. "It was in the news within a day," replied the girl. "She's locked herself in the house and Yuffie says she shakes so bad she can't even pick up a pen." In response Axel blinked, before rubbing his face in anguish. Then he groaned and stood up, tapping his fingers on the table before sitting back down and glancing towards Naminé, who was pressing a hand to the side of her temple. Scooting his chair to her side, Axel rubbed her shoulders and thanked her for her help, murmuring, "I'm lucky to have a friend like you." Naminé smiled and whispered, "You too, Axel," in reply, and Axel snorted, muttering that he was flattered. Shrugging, Namine glanced at the watch on her wrist and gasped, returning her hat to her head. "I've got to go!," bubbled the girl in a rush, picking up her purse and skipping towards the door. "Tonight, we won't be defeated!" she added, and then she was gone. Axel stood on the porch and waved after her before shutting the door behind him and trudging back towards the kitchen. His eyes fell to the top of the staircase, where Lea was waiting.

"What do you want?" Axel asked, but Lea narrowed his eyes. "If you go to jail, will I live with Reno?" the boy questioned, and Axel rolled his eyes. "Yes. You will live with Reno. Or an aunt or something."

"We don't have any," Lea interjected, and Axel shrugged. "Then I guess it will have to be a distant cousin or an orphanage." He relished the fear in Lea's eyes. "It'll be Reno," reasoned Lea with himself. Then he ran up the stairs. In a few minutes, he returned with his backpack, clutching its handles with indignation. "Can I go to Isa's house?" he asked, and Axel said sure, waving the boy off. Lea punched the air and bounded out the door without saying goodbye.

Then Axel looked down at the papers in front of him and sighed.

…..

**The Next Day**

A tall, suave man in his early thirties accompanied Axel and Naminé up the stairs to the police station, staring ahead with his chest forward, confident and relaxed. With as subtle a glance as possible Axel examined his new lawyer, watching the way the man strode forward without fear, and began to feel the same assuredness beating in his own heart. Once inside the building's lobby, the small party cut into a small hallway to the right and shuffled towards the interview room. Greeting them, seated at the table directly across from their empty chairs, were Xemnas, his lawyer, and Xehanort, and as Axel sucked in a deep breath, the assuredness that had crept inside him slipped away, replaced by cold when he sat down. He had interacted with Xehanort only once in his life, when he'd first joined Organization Thirteen.

With beady eyes Xemnas' lawyer glanced at Xehanort, his pupils dilating when Axel's lawyer thrust his hand forward to be shaken. "Hello," greeted Mr. Rusko in a powerful, commanding voice. Mr. Silver inched his own hand forward and clasped it around the fingers of his opponent with a wry smile, moving his arm up and down as he gushed, "well," looking around him in surprise before adding, "Academia's own Leo Rusko!" As he spoke, Naminé pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, studying. She was dressed in grey and had let her hat fall in front of her face to hide it, but Xehanort's gaze fell upon her immediately, the black at his eyes' centers shrinking into long slits. "Who is this young lady?" interjected the old man, and all glances fell on Naminé, who smiled, her hat still tilted in front of her eyes. Xemnas stared off uncaringly as Mr. Rusko returned, "A kind friend," and Xehanort smiled, chuckling, "Well, you should have told me earlier that 'kind friends' were invited to these meetings." When he beckoned for a telephone, Naminé held her hand up and excused herself, before the interview room door was opened and she was escorted into the hall by choice. Xehanort's eyes remained trained on her person as she exited the room, but when the door behind her clicked shut, his attention returned to Mr. Rusko. "What must we discuss?" asked the old man, but Mr. Rusko shrugged and pulled his papers out in front of him.

Separated by a two-way mirror, Naminé examined the proceeds of the meeting as the opposing parties spoke with one another, while out of the corner of her eye she became aware of a tan suited police officer trudging towards her. When he reached her side, he offered, "You know you can sit in if you paid for your client's lawyer." But in return Naminé whipped her head around and narrowed her eyes at him, pausing before replying, "do you usually wear sunglasses indoors?" In response the man shrugged and removed them, folding their hinges and slipping them into his pocket in one swift motion. Warm brown eyes stared back at Naminé, but there was a cool glow beneath them, like gold hidden within mud. Averting her eyes, Naminé tucked the brim of her hat further down in front of her face while the young man chuckled and returned his shades to his eyes. The pair stood at each other's side until the conversation within the interview room was finished, and the clients inside had risen to shake one another's hands.

The first to file out of the interview room was Axel's lawyer, who tapped Naminé on the shoulder as she moved to greet him. "Why didn't you stay?" he chuckled, to which Naminé glanced about before whispering in reply, "I didn't want them to know I paid for your lawyer." As Axel trudged forward to meet the girl, he furrowed his brows and snorted, commenting, "You were really looking those guys up and down." With ill ease Naminé gritted her teeth, and hissed, "I don't trust them."

"You're just being paranoid," Axel chuckled in return, and Naminé shrugged before returning down the hallway they had entered the interview room through just as Xemnas and Xehanort filed into it. While Mr. Silver glanced about in deep worry, the old man watched Naminé and Axel as they disappeared down the hallway. "I have to admit," his rat faced lawyer muttered, "I am hesitant of this case's outcome." in reply Xehanort nodded, murmuring, "It is the girl. She is Axel's benefactor." With three small taps he touched his cane to the ground. Mr. Silver snorted. "Very young for being so generous."

"In any case," hissed Xehanort in response, raising his voice as he passed a tan suited young man on their way out of the building lobby and into fresh air, "I am curious about her." Then, he and Mr. Silver left. A short moment after, Mr. Rusko waltzed out of the lobby bathroom with his phone to his ear, but just as he hung up and began to saunter towards the front door, the tan suited man stopped him.

"Hi," the boy beamed, and Mr. Rusko smiled, snapping, "Nice to meet you. I'll be on my way."

"Can I just ask you a question?" inquired the young man in response, and Mr. Rusko stopped long enough for the boy to chirp, "How is Academia?"

To this Mr. Rusko snorted and patted the young man's shoulder as he sang, "I'm late young man." Then he started to leave. "And Academia is wonderful!" he called behind him. The young man bristled, picked up his things, and left the building through the emergency exit at the far corner of the lobby, on the other side of the toilets, while Mr. Rusko chuckled as he sped up to meet Axel and Naminé outside, squeezing their shoulders as he reached their sides. "You two confident?" he asked, and Naminé nodded while Axel smiled, but the red head tensed as he felt his cellphone buzzing. When he stared down at its lighted screen he scowled and thrust it back in his pocket. "What's the matter?" asked Naminé, but Axel shrugged, mumbling, "Just a message from Ventus. It's nothing," in response. As they entered their car, Mr. Rusko explained the witness process to Axel. Laughs even escaped the car as they drove away, and Axel began to smile again at Rusko's joyous incitement.

A few minutes passed before Xehanort trod out of the police station with Xemnas close behind and sucked in a deep breath of air. At his mere glance, his car sped up to meet him and his young chauffer jumped out, opening the side door for him and his son. When the men sat inside and closed the doors behind them, Xehanort addressed the young man driving. "Did you get anything?" he asked, but the young man's nostrils flared. "No." He snipped in reply. "Why not?" Xehanort inquired, and the young man cleared his throat and tightened his hold on the steering wheel. "He is smart."

"Are you not?" responded Xehanort without looking at the boy, who pursed his lips, still gripping the wheel with tensed fingers. As Xehanort glanced at his son, he rubbed his chin and Xemnas cleared his throat, inquiring if the girl had blond hair. When Xehanort responded Yes Xemnas chuckled. "Perhaps it's Naminé, Ansem's former muse."

"How do you know?" snapped Xehanort in response. In return Xemnas smiled, murmuring, "She was one of my enemies."

"Who would know about her?"

"Marluxia might know," responded Xemnas in a mutter, "but he is a traitor."

"What about the puppet?" Xehanort inquired. Xemnas chuckled. "She is incapable."

The master chuckled before turning to the chauffer. "Get as much as you can by tomorrow."

The chauffer nodded, and they made their way out from the gates of the police station towards the main back road of the city.

...

The Orphanage That Never Was peeped out through the boughs of trees extending from woods behind, bent with age and wind that coursed through the landscape from the Badlands that lay to their side. Its frame could be reached by a dirt road that crept up to the edge of the city before melding with the incomplete concrete road leading amongst the City That Never Was' poor housing district. The rain rolling over from the south pelted across the plains on either side of the forest and buried its dirt path in a thick layer of mud that made it near impossible to trudge through.

The young man came upon it with a pack slung over his shoulder. Inside it was a little rectangular machine capable of scanning pages and storing them to memory. There was also a debugger that confused security systems, and a lock caste cushioned within a blue metal box. Though a coat lay about the young man's shoulders, he shivered, and the Orphanage ahead whined and hissed in response, moving with the sway of the trees, which watched him step forward from the little dark holes between their trunks, peering through black abyssal eyes. A rare headache assaulted the boy and his heart began to race, so he trudged forward with a fast a step as was possible, slipping through the gate of the Orphanage. To avoid being within sight of the front windows and doors he veered around the side of the building while the heavy rain pelting through his clothes washed the mud from his feet. Dribbling from every pore, he dodged under the hang of the roof and shook himself off, sneaking in through the building's unlocked back door.

There were voices coming from a small office down the hall, a set excited and nervous, intermixed with the calm drone of an employee. As he peered ahead the young man noticed a bathroom at the end of the hall, and when the talking within the office rose in volume he slipped forward and through the bathroom door, closing it behind him and moving to the mirrors on the far side. He wrung his clothes out into one of the sinks and wiped his face and hands with a towel, material instead of paper. His shoes went under the tap next, washing off the remaining mud. Then he took a small plastic bag from his pocket with a set of clear stickers inside it, peeled them off, and stuck them to the bottom of his shoes. The final procedure was his gloves, and once he had slipped them on, he exited the bathroom and hurried down the hallway checking for cameras. There were none.

The file room was down a set of stairs, in the basement, and once he located its door, he crouched down and descended, feeling the wall at his side for light switches. As his fingers met white porcelain, he pushed his palm upwards and the bulbs lining the ceiling turned on. On the wall adjacent the switches there were pegs hung with various sets of keys, each labeled in green tape. After locating the key for files marked N, the young man paused, slipping a vial of liquid and the small metal box from his pack. He unclipped the lid of the device and stuck the key inside, waiting for a minute. Drops of rain were falling against his hair and trickling down his scalp from the floorboards above. When the device clicked, the young man breathed a sigh of relief and removed the key, pouring the liquid from the vial into the indentation left and shutting the device lid again. The N file keys were returned to their racks. Following two minutes, the box clicked again, just as he located the filing cabinet marked N. Inside the opened face of the blue metal box was a clear casted key, and taking it from the box with care, the young man placed it inside the cabinet lock and turned it. There was a click before the cabinet opened. Shoved in the back of the drawer like a forgotten doll was Naminé's file, old and worn. The young man retrieved it and skimmed through it, his eyes settling on the first few lines of scribbled information.

"_Last Name: N/A, First Name: Naminé, Age: N/A, Place of Birth: N/A, Previous Orphanage: L'Acad__é__mie De Les Petite D__é__butantes, Reason for Departure: Ran away…" _

"_Adoptee: Marluxia…" _

No completed identity paperwork or birth certificate followed. Naminé was less than a ghost. But, the young man thought to himself, perhaps there would be files on her in Disney Castle. In the mean time Marluxia was an intriguing lead. After scanning the documents and setting them back in their file, the young man closed and locked the cabinet. The inside of the circular cabinet lock was sprayed with water so that the cast dust left from the fake key disintegrated, and the cast key was set back in its blue metal box and returned to the young man's pack for future reference.

Slipping back out of the Orphanage was easy. Amongst the sounds of employees speaking with prospective parents and of children whispering to each other in their beds, a humming welled up through the rain, unmarked by anyone who happened to hear it until it disappeared softly into the north.


	8. Pursuit

Chapter 6

Dodging around more unsavory folk than before, Xion hurried down Renoir Street like a shadow. Once she reached the little brick and wood shack background check building and ducked inside, she rushed to the teller and banged on the table, her ears registering the sound of singing from beneath the floor. The tenor rose from the ground as if an independent voice were lifting through the air to meet her, but then the side door to the inside of the teller window opened and its owner strolled out. When the thick-rimmed glasses boy spotted Xion a smile crinkled across his face and he opened his arms wide, serenading her in dramatic vibrato, to which Xion laughed and the boy stopped and grinned. Then she was let into the back of the store, where she leaned on the side of one of the computer tables and cleared her throat to announce her intentions. As she began speaking, though, the young man shuffled through a cabinet on the back wall and pulled out a little box of contacts for Xion, and the girl peered down at them with furrowed brows. The clear spherical slices were a muddy brown inside their box, but as Xion took them out and rays of sunlight hit their glass like surface, the contacts reflected a soft red. Xion scowled, but the boy chirped, "Put them on!" to which Xion shrugged. It took her a few tries, but around the fourth she got the contacts in and peered up at the shop teller, who furrowed his brows.

"What is it?" Xion asked, but the young man shrugged. "Your eyes are so bright that the red tint shines through the contacts." Xion laughed out loud and shook her head. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you had given me a pair of real brown contacts this wouldn't have happened," she explained, taking the contacts out and depositing them back inside their box. She then maneuvered towards the cabinet with the passports and rummaged through it. "No one, again," Xion snipped, folding her arms in front of her and pouting. The boy grinned and held up his forefinger, signaling for Xion to wait as he pulled a small plastic box with her name on it from under the front of the teller. Inside of it was a BI security pass. "You're gonna love this one. She looks just like you," he added, slipping the pass in front of her. On it was a picture of a girl with long black hair and red brown eyes.

"Tifa Lockhart," Xion read out loud, receiving a chuckle in reply from the boy. She narrowed her eyes and peered closer at the photo. The woman looked partially like her. "So that's why you got those contacts," sighed Xion, putting her palm to her cheek. "All I see is the black hair. I'm tanner than her, too."

"No you're not!" replied the boy, jumping up and going for a camera that lay beneath the front desk. "Let me take a picture of you," he chirped, "I can have a new set of documents ready within days for you, and in that time you can decide if you want it or not."

As Xion shook her head the boy's shoulders fell. "I'll throw the contacts in free with the pass."

"I don't have the money!" Xion barked in response, throwing her hands in the air. The boy blinked at her and sighed in dejection, sitting down at the front desk and swiveling back and forth, eyeing Xion, who remained leaned against the computer table on the far right wall.

"You've been coming here more often," the boy observed. Xion nodded with furrowed brows. "I'm getting jittery." To this the boy laughed. "You're not the only one. The Investigation Bureau has been up all of our asses for months now." Then, he sighed. "They're building a new unit across from the mayor's. I've had no business for weeks."

There was silence for a moment except for the ticking of the clock at the back of the teller as the two pondered. Then the boy stood up and clapped his hands, beckoning for Xion to stand on the other wall while he got his camera. "I'm going to coach you on how to smile like this woman," he murmured, and began.

Xion practiced standing with her shoulders the same way as the woman, and when Xion smiled she tilted the sides of her mouth up the way the woman did. When they were done with the pictures the boy asked for a down payment on the BI clearance, but Xion declined as she picked up her purse. "If you want me to buy that thing don't ask for it straight up. You'll scare me!"

Then she was gone from the store. As Xion walked down the street she thought of ways to weasel the clearance out of the boy for a much lower price than he was offering. Until then, she would have to be content knowing that some sort of emergency escape route was being created for her. She decided that she would never be caught complacent again. Too many times it had proven to her detriment.

...

As Reno stepped out from the car he had been driving for a few too many hours and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he noticed Lightning strolling towards him. Taking a quick glance in the side view mirror, he concluded that he didn't look swell. After the arrest of Zack Fair, Reno's division had been going crazy trying to get dirt on Shinra, and they had just been cleared to search Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. Two years ago the police had done a once over on it, but now things were serious. Regardless of if Reno's team found anything worthwhile at the mansion today, they were going to visit Shinra headquarters later on to see if they could find anything else. They'd already been to Shinra once and found a hoard of files belonging to Hojo on the various experiments he had performed over the years, but they knew the mansion was where they would find what they were truly looking for.

Ever since Lightning implied that the BI was using Reno because he was a former Shinra Turk, he had felt the need to prove himself. He and his team had been up almost every night since Zack Fair had been arrested, trying to connect the murder with a Shinra affiliate in order to expose some of the organization's corruption. The lack of sleep was showing on Reno's visage. He took out a little bottle of face cream when he thought no one was looking and smeared some on.

"Are you ready to go inside?" he heard behind him, and he jumped, hitting his head on the roof of his car. "Fugly piece of shit…" he growled to himself, massaging the sore spot on his head. When he turned around, he saw that the voice belonged to Lightning. "You look well," She said flatly, and Reno remembered that he hadn't rubbed in the cream, mumbling, "Thanks," as he signaled for the rest of his team to follow him. He rubbed the cream into his skin as he walked. So much excitement was bubbling inside Kid that it seemed to take everything in him not to run inside the old stone behemoth of a building first. Instead, he inched forward in frightful jolts behind the rest of the group, his teeth gritted and his earnest eyes set on the mansion ahead. Once the party was inside the entrance of the house, Reno clapped his fingers and his agents directed their attention towards him. Then, beckoning for them to come closer, he cleared his throat and assigned portions of the house for them to look through. "Unit one will dispatch upstairs on the left side of the house, unit two upstairs right, unit three ground floor left, unit four ground floor right..."

As Reno gave orders Lightning started poking around, knocking on the walls. In response Reno's nostrils flared, but he continued giving orders until all of his men were gone except Kid, who was in his and Lightning's search group. "You're not doing the hollow thing, are you?" Reno snapped at her, "This isn't a movie." She shooed him off, continuing to test around various walls. There was creaking sound from Reno's right ear, and as he turned around a masked man appeared from a door to the left. Before realizing it was just Max, Reno yelped and backed into the wall, catching himself before he tripped over. Too tired to form the outcome into a joke, Reno shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets as Max tapped his gas mask.

"You guys should really be wearing something over your faces," the man said dully, "These walls have decades of radioactive particles in them."

"I don't think that masks will stop exposure," commented Reno in return, but Max shrugged. "Better safe than sorry." Then, he rummaged through a small case on the floor nearby and pulled out a few facemasks for them. After Lightning put one on, Reno snapped one on as quickly as he could to make it look like he had put his on first. Throughout the debacle Lightning rolled her eyes and began examining the walls again, asking Max if he'd found anything yet, to which Max nodded. "You don't have to do that wall thing anymore," he added. "We've already located his office and we think we've got the wall separating the basement hallway from his laboratory."

"Are there higher concentrations of chemicals there?" Lightning asked, and Max nodded. "Insane amounts of Mako. It's no wonder Hojo was crazy as shit. He was inhaling this stuff every day."

Kid furrowed his eyebrows. "Um, what is Mako again?" he asked, and Reno snorted.

"Kid, did you fail 8th grade science?"

"No. I just don't remember it."

"Oh yeah, that was the year you got bullied," offered Max, and Reno snickered. Kid blushed, looking away. "I never got bullied! Stop making stuff up!"

"It's a radioactive energy source," Max whispered with shining eyes, "Lifestream, Kid."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Aw, Max. You don't believe in that crap, do you?"

Max frowned, and pointed a finger at Reno. "Hey, when you wake up with five legs tomorrow and I'm fine, let's see who's right."

"Having five legs doesn't justify a liquid substance being the afterlife."

"What?" Lightning interjected, and Reno explained.

"Mako comes from a naturally occurring substance that folk culture called 'Lifestream', but Shinra experimented on it and made it into a power product. Now it's a major energy source for our region. Some believe that when people die their souls go into the 'Lifestream'."

"Not some, Reno, a lot," corrected Max. "I'm surprised that you don't 'believe'. You're pretty damn superstitious," then, with a mischievous grin he added, "Did Shinra put this idea of yours in your head?"

"Don't bring Shinra into this!" snapped Reno in return.

Kid looked up with horror. "So we could be inhaling dead bodies!" he choked, but Reno snorted.

"I didn't say they were dead bodies, Kid, I said they were people's souls," elaborated Max, but Kid wailed.

"As Reno was saying," Max interjected, "Mako was developed by Shinra, and Hojo used it to experiment on people. Exposure to the pure stuff causes genetic mutations, or enhancements if it's done right."

"Where is the highest concentration?" Lightning cut in, and Max pointed to a staircase leading down to the basement. Lighting glanced from the staircase back to him, asking, "Did you break the wall down?" but Max shook his head. "We have to be careful. We don't want to cause the whole house to fall down."

Nodding, Lightning began to search the walls again, before she stopped, sucking in a breath. "There's a slot here," she breathed, pointing to a spot on the wall and tapping it's hollow surface. "This is it. It's a sliding door. It opens with a card instead of a lock. Feel for yourself," She added, and Max raised his eyebrows in admiration, going over and feeling it. "She's right," He affirmed, and Lighting smiled while Reno snapped, "We don't have the card." To his dismay, a smug look painted itself across Lightning's face before she cleared her throat and began, "At the Academy, they've developed a new lock picking device that works on card slots," adding, "Give me thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Reno gasped, and Lightning narrowed her eyes at him, snapping, "What else do you suggest?" Reno shrugged. "Blow the wall in."

"And risk blowing the whole crime scene in, too?"

"We've already got him!"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "We're looking for more than 'just him', aren't we?"

Reno pursed his lips as Lightning retrieved the small lock-picking device from a cubical black bag near the front door. After bringing it back, careful to display it to everyone at arm's length, she hooked it up and let Max toggle with it. But as he examined its exterior the man shrugged, announcing, "It's pretty damn standard, to be honest. It's just a regular lock pick in card form." To this Lightning frowned and Reno grinned.

"Nothing has ever been made like this before!" snapped Lightning in reply, but Max shrugged again. "Well, I would say it's pretty standard except for the fact that it's in card form."

"Yes, you've established that," Lightning barked, but just as Max opened his mouth with indignation, there was a click, and the metal door slip open. As its rusted hinges rattled, Max's mouth fell open and he nodded with admiration again. Lightning smiled at Reno, who rolled his eyes, and as their companion pushed off from the ground and wandered inside the room's interior, the group her him gasp. "Holy shit," the man breathed, and Reno, Lightning, and Kid all filed in behind him with widened eyes. The room before them was a huge feat of architecture; with vents and pipes spiraling over top one another, tied to the walls with metal frames. Attached to the pipes were tubes that extended straight down from the ceiling into the heads of large, cylindrical tanks, filled with stagnant green fluid. To the right side of the rows of tanks, there were tables upon tables of contraptions and research papers, and lining the back wall of the spacious hall were refrigerators. In curiosity Kid stepped towards one of the tanks, the reflection of the viscous tank fluid glowing green against his skin and clothes. But as he reached his hand out to tap the tank's glass surface, Lightning threw her hand out in front of her, shouting for him to stop and freezing the young man in his tracks.

Once his attention was directed at her glower, Lightning warned, "don't touch that!" adding with disgust, "You might break it, and there's no telling what is in there," as she tried not to gaze at the green sludge directly. "How long has it been since Hojo was in here?" she asked. Reno shrugged.

"If we do tests on the fluid we can figure out how old it is."

Lightning nodded, asking, "Do we have any files on the people he experimented or anything detailing a benefactor, something besides the obvious?" But Max shrugged.

"There aren't as many files as we thought there would be."

Perplexed, Lightning pulled her hair back with her hands before letting it fall around her face again. "Something is wrong here!" she whispered, pacing back and forth between the tanks and tables. "Why and how would he discard all of his business transaction files with Rufus?"

"It turns out the two weren't that connected to each other," Max interjected. "Hojo was the_ former_ President Shinra's head scientist."

"Then why did he stay with the company?" She reasoned, shaking her head. A chill passed over her and she stopped in her tracks, shivering. Then, she tapped her finger to her forehead and narrowed her eyes, whispering, "Someone has been in here. I can feel it."

Looking upward, Reno sighed and explained, "No one has been here for at least a week unless Hojo knew that we were on to him and had the stuff removed before then."

"Damn!" snarled Lightning in response, peering at her feet. Then, her head snapped up. "We need to get to Shinra headquarters," she breathed. As a gasp came over her she turned around and grabbed Reno by the shoulders, bubbling with nervous excitement. "That's where they've got the files!" she hissed, adding, "The faster we get there the more chance we have of finding something," as she tore up the staircase and towards the front door to collect her bags. "Max, Kid, come with us," she roared down the stairs, and Kid jumped up, eager to be of use. While he mounted the stairs at top speed and Lightning returned to the staircase to see what the others were delaying for, Max drawled, "don't you want me to stay?" But Lightning shook her head and beckoned for him to follow her. "You're coming."

After the bags were collected and slung over everyone's' shoulders and as the part was jogging out of the house, Reno hurried to Lightning's side and touched her shoulder. In response Lightning glanced at him with raised brows. "Why did you pick them," grumbled Reno, glancing towards Kid and Max with reluctance, "Kid's too immature and Max was quite happy staying here!"

As Reno spoke this, Lightning chuckled and shook her head, murmuring without looking at him, "It's sad that your best teammates are staring you right in the face and you can't even see them."

Then, Reno jumped into the driver's seat of his car with pursed lips while Lightning took the passenger seat and Max and Kid sat in the back. "We didn't make an appointment with Shinra," the red head added in a growl, wringing his hands against the steering wheel. But with a shining grin Lightning responded, "Let's surprise them."

…..

With an unusual skip in his step Riku ventured passed Naminé's mansion in Twilight Town, ducking low to the trees in case the girl saw him and ran out to greet him. He'd received a voicemail from Flora saying that Yen Sid had returned from Pulse and was ready to teach him. Besides missing the call, he did not want to be late. And Riku was not a fool. He knew the Mark of Mastery was a strange exam. It tested character in addition to physical and mental intelligence. But Riku's previous involvement with Maleficent worried him, and he wondered if his past weaknesses would affect Yen Sid's future decisions in his regard. After the trouble with the Sanctum, Pulse's main motto had been the education of the selfless. "So I've got to be selfless," muttered Riku, thinking that attending class on time was the first step to victory. The young man trudged back up the mangled, over grown path leading to Yen Sid's tower and breathed out slowly when the colossal front door came into view. At arm's length from its blue wooden front Riku knocked on it, and the echoes rose from its interior and up through the tower again. Suddenly Riku got the idea that this was Yen Sid's doorbell system. There was the sound of a latch undoing, and Flora peeped through door before beaming and letting Riku in.

"Lovely to see you, Riku!" she blathered; pushing the front door closed behind him and leading him up the stairs. Feeling that the older woman was nervous, Riku inquired "Is Fauna sick?" to which Flora sighed heavily. "We don't quite know what's wrong with her but we are determined to get to the bottom of this and get her in tip top shape!" she burst out, and then she covered her mouth and said excuse me. "You know how to get to Mr. Sid's study, don't you?" she added in a shaky voice, turning around so that Riku could not see her face. He shrugged, wondering if she was about to cry. "Yeah, I do. I'll be fine from here," He replied in a soft voice and Flora nodded before hurrying down the stairs.

Before climbing up any further, Riku stared after the woman as she disappeared down a hall at the center of the tower. He presumed that was where Flora's room was. But soon, his excitement took over and Riku's attention was drawn back towards the tower's head, where Yen Sid's study lay in wait. With each step he took Riku's enthusiasm grew, and he cracked his knuckles as the study door came into view at the top of the stairs. Spending the summer away from Sora would give him discipline and strength of will. But sudden anxiety overcame Riku as he reached for the study's doorknob, and before he could settle his fingers around its frame, the door attached to it jutted open and an enormous, strong-jawed man stepped out from behind. With a crooked, toothy grin the man narrowed his eyes, stared down at Riku, and said a hearty hello. His voice was mid pitch and singsong, different to what Riku had expected when he'd first laid eyes on him. Then, the behemoth of a man held out his hand for Riku and let the boy inside the study room, turning to face Yen Sid before saluting. "If you have any information you know where to deliver it!" he near sang. The man tapped his long, pointed nose with a menacing expression as he added, "All I need is a scent!" in a low, ticking chortle.

A glower passed Yen Sid's brow in response and his palms pressed to each other, knuckles white with distress. "Perhaps I would be more inclined to give information if you hadn't come alone," he growled, "What exactly, was the purpose of you venturing out by yourself?"

"I'm a lonely hunter," responded the man with relish, continuing, "and who likes sharing a trophy with a bunch of other guys?"

Pursing his lips and staring out the window again, Yen Sid replied, "This is not a case you can solve on your own." But the man shrugged.

"Well, if I'm in over my head I'll hand the ropes over to someone else." With this goodbye the man started down the stairs and Yen Sid told Riku to wait in the study while he led the man to the door. After pulling a cushion chair from the back of the room in front of Yen Sid's desk, Riku plunked himself down and waited until the old man returned.

"I cannot stand that police man!" growled Yen Sid on his way inside. Riku furrowed his brows. "What's the matter with him?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "He wants information concerning Xemnas. He asked about Sephiroth, too."

Riku frowned. "Why would you withhold that information?" he asked, and Yen Sid sighed, "Because he is a stupid, crooked cop. Getting criminals locked up is a sport for him. He will butcher the case."

"You mean; he's a bad guy?" inquired Riku. Yen Sid chuckled. "He is out for himself, so he is dangerous," murmured the old man, adding, "I will wait for a different investigator." Though Riku waited for Yen Sid to speak further, the old man stood in silence, staring out of his star shaped window again. The ordeal went on for about eight minutes, until Riku gave a long, audible sigh, snuggling further into the cushions of the chair he inhabited. Yen Sid examined Riku with a ponderous glance. Then he sat at his desk and glowered in deep thought. Uncomfortable, Riku shuffled and rubbed his sweaty palms against the thighs of his jeans before Yen Sid sighed and stated, "I trust you." Thanks," replied Riku, and Yen Sid stood.

"I am growing tired of these authorities pursuance of my knowledge. This situation is reminiscent of when the trouble with Master Eraqus began ten years back," he sighed. "Along with Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort, Professor Ansem, and King Mickey, I was on the Advisory Board for our entire region. To be of that position was a great honor; only individuals who had given lifetime contributions to Mundus were enlisted to make its decisions." With a chuckle he continued, "Eraqus had spoken many times of the creation of an Academy that would entertain less fortunate students. At the time, I felt a foreboding creep over me. I knew myself that it would only bring harm, but I vouched for it anyway, and at first I was proud."

"Then, when Master Eraqus was ousted, we decided that there had been unscrupulous dealings going on beneath us that we were unaware of. We could not continue to believe that our region was morally better than all others. So we contacted Sora's father." As Yen Sid said this he glanced out the window once more, and Riku wondered why he was the audience for the old man's sudden confession. "He was a gifted investigator," murmured the old master, "and we wanted him to create an organization to stop corruption and crime. When the board voted on the creation of the Investigation Bureau, Master Xehanort was one of three board members to vote against it. He said that the region had no need. Professor Ansem made his opinion on Master Xehanort apparent when he stated he did not trust him. Yet, he looked past his vehemence of the man when he took Xehanort's son as his apprentice."

"You mean Xemnas was an apprentice of Ansem?" Riku gasped, and Yen Sid tried not to smile, as he responded, "No, Riku. _Xehanort_ was an apprentice to Ansem."

Though Riku snorted in return, his smile disappeared and he rubbed his forehead in realization. "Wait, you mean Xehanort as in the Xehanort in that picture over there?" he breathed, glancing at the portrait that was propped up against the wall, the bottom of its frame set against the floor. Yen Sid nodded and Riku gasped, breathing, "So Ansem's apprentice Xehanort was _Master Xehanort's _son?" to which Yen Sid responded, "I thought it would be obvious." But Riku shrugged. "I researched Master Xehanort and it said lots of times that he only had one son, Xemnas," explained the boy in suspicion. Yen Sid narrowed his eyes. "Didn't Ansem speak of Xehanort II?" he murmured, and Riku furrowed his brows. "He did. I didn't find out about the older Xehanort until recently," he interjected. Then he stopped and opened his mouth in shock. "Master Xehanort disowned his son?"

Yen Sid sighed like he was about to go into a long explanation, but then he stopped himself before thundering, "Oh, bugger it!" and Riku cowered in his chair as Yen Sid shook his head. "This is the thing about confidential information," growled the old man. "Once one gets started saying _something _about it, they can't stop until they've gone and said too much!" But Riku scratched the back of his head, offering, "Well, if it's important, doesn't it need to be said?" and Yen Sid chuckled.

"_I_ am not the only one who knows about this, Riku," elaborated the old Master, touching the tips of his fingers to each other as he sat down again. "It is a secret the Investigation Bureau in the Land of Departure told me to keep well hidden. It connects too much to… hmph." He trailed off, stopping himself. His eyes hazed as he disappeared into his thoughts.

"Riku, why is it that you came over?" he asked finally, still with an absent mind, and Riku tried not to gape, chirping, "I came over for my first training session!" but Yen Sid stopped him. "Don't lie, boy. You came to get information out of me; I can tell by your voice that you are not sincere."

Riku sighed. "I didn't come for information. I came for training," He mumbled, "I just thought that you would remember." In response Yen Sid nodded and relaxed. "Ah. That was why you were insincerely happy. You were dissatisfied," he thundered, but Riku put his hands up in front of him in dissuasion, shaking his head. "No, sir! I just… I apologize," He finally sighed. With a responding frown Yen Sid shook his shoulders as if a chill coursed through him. "I apologize also. I am getting irritated with all this attention. Everyone wants something from me."

Riku tried, "We don't have to do the training sessions if you don't want," but Yen Sid scoffed at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, you will return tomorrow. Be prepared to work hard. You will need all the stamina you can muster!" Then, he finished, "you may go," and Riku breathed out in dismay. "Bye, sir," He replied, leaving.

As he descended the stairs to the middle floor of the tower Riku noticed an open door on his left leading into a small, dark bedroom. Whenever he had passed it before on his way to Yen Sid's office he'd believed it to be a broom closet, but as he crept closer, he saw a silhouette of a person sitting on a bed in the room's center, humming. With the sudden realization that the figure was Fauna and this strange room was her bedchamber, Riku crept forward, trying not to make any noise. But as he took another step the floorboards creaked and Fauna glanced up, clutching her hands to her chest in fear. "You again," she breathed, stopping Riku in his tracks, who chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, I'll be coming around a lot more often."

Fauna regarded Riku with a fear he could not understand. "Will my son be arriving, too?" she whispered but Riku furrowed his brows in confusion and asked her to repeat herself, that he hadn't heard her right.

"Why did you send him after me?" Fauna asked. There were tears in her eyes. "I don't know who you are talking about," Riku responded, taking a step inside the room, but as he did Fauna jumped up and backed away from the bed in heightening terror, stuttering, "I know he is my son, but I don't want anything to do anymore," as she clutched at her chest. Then, with deep anger she burst out, "Not after what _you _turned him into." Riku tried not to chuckle from confusion and discomfort, and instead gritted his teeth while he spoke. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I have to go," he muttered, backing out of the room. As his form left the room and fell inside the soft glow of the sunlight streaming down from the hallway window, the haze that had clouded Fauna with fear dissipated and she looked at Riku with intent for the first time. "You're Riku, aren't you?" she breathed in shock, and Riku nodded. In return, Fauna relaxed and wandered back to her bed, sitting down on the covers. "That's alright, then. As long as you're not _him._"

"Who?" Riku asked in puzzlement, but Fauna just laughed, "Ansem, of course!"

Knowing he was on the verge of something grand but unable to express his feelings, Riku stared at her in bewilderment before narrowing his eyes and clearing his throat. But just when he became ready to speak, a firm hand gripped his shoulder. As he jumped around he swung his fist through the air, stopping the punch in mid go when he saw that it was Flora, livid. "What are you doing?" she snapped, rushing past Riku and putting Fauna back in bed, feeling her temperature. Then she returned to Riku in a hurry and shut the door behind her. "How could you scare her like that? She has a fever!"

"Well that would explain her rambling," muttered Riku in reply, furrowing his brows and staring at Flora. "Is she going senile?" he asked, causing Flora to put her hands to her forehead in agitation. "No she is not going senile! Everything that has happened is just affecting her! When it stops, she'll be better!" she sighed. Riku frowned. Then an idea popped into his head and he said the name without stopping himself, watching with curiosity as Flora froze. "Xehanort?" the woman whispered. "How do you know about Xehanort?" she snapped, "Yen Sid would never tell you!" but Riku folded his arms in front of him in sudden indignation as he barked, "I don't know, I was just wondering."

Looking from one blue eye to the next, Flora sighed and nodded to herself, confident that Riku was sincere. "She watches the news," muttered the older lady, "It just reminds her of her past." Then she shut her mouth tight. "Past?" Riku asked, but Flora moved like a whip, rushing him down the stairs and out of the tower, attempting a smile as she went. "Well, we'll see you in a few months?" she tried, but Riku corrected "tomorrow", and Flora looked exasperated. "Oh right, tomorrow," She muttered, before she shut the door with one brisk thud.

The silver haired boy stood in confused silence before scratching the back of his head in disbelief. He had a feeling that the cases of Axel and Zack were the door to everything that had befallen him and his friends for the past few years and Fauna knew a great deal more about the situation than Flora wanted to let on. But as he wished that he could ask her more questions, out of the corner of his eye Riku noticed Sora trudging up the road towards him. As Sora glanced up he met the reluctant eyes of his friend and waved, but in response Riku frowned. "Sora, what are you doing walking around here by yourself?" questioned the boy, and Sora beamed. "Yen Sid called my dad and suggested that I study with him for the Mark of Mastery Exam!"

As Riku blinked, his nostrils flared and Sora covered his mouth in surprise. "Don't tell me, Riku. You're doing it too?" he squealed, but before Riku could answer in the affirmative Sora jumped on top of him and hugged him in delight. "Awesome! We're gonna be together for the whole summer!" he shouted. Riku tried to smile, muttering, "Yayyy," with gritted teeth. "This is great!" replied Sora. "I'm going to talk to Yen Sid about lessons, but I'll be out super quick!" he blubbered, and dashed off towards the tower. Riku contemplated leaving him behind, but then he thought it was stupid to be selfish. After all, Sora was his best friend. With a sigh Riku smoothed back his hair and remembered his promise to Yen Sid.

Now he had even more to think about at night.

…..

Suddenly jittery, Lightning decided upon parking a distance away from Shinra Headquarters. A slight drizzle had begun to fall from the sky and Reno shivered as he and the rest of the party exited their vehicle. "Won't they know it's us?" Reno muttered. The building ahead stared at him with an omniscient presence that sent tremors through his spine, and as he shivered again he noticed Lightning's unnatural excitement.

Reno had heard about stuff like shell shock, when people went crazy from wars. Watching the way Lightning stepped forward with a slight skip to each bound of her body made Reno wonder if the war in Pulse had changed Lightning's way of thinking, or if she'd just always been that way. She seemed to love being in enemy territory. Perhaps it was blood lust. Or maybe it was the notion that she would be able to outshine Reno in his own former home. But for once, Reno couldn't care less. He had escaped Shinra once before, but now that he was on the offensive staring in; he was scared of what they might do. Would he ever see his family again? Would he ever see Lightning naked?

Reno frowned, scratching the space between his hip and the left cheek of his backside. His palms were caked in sweat, and he felt as though his whole life were flashing before his eyes. He hadn't made love to enough women. He hadn't eaten enough good food. Everything he'd striven for up to this point had been markers on the road to reaching one stupid goal after another, goals that never mattered. Having a job that would bring him fortune and boost his ego in his own and the public's eye. Having something to brag about to his useless brother. Something to wow Lea, his personal cheerleader. Suddenly Reno had the horrific thought that he had been _selfish _his entire life. But Lightning's hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present. Though she sported a pitying glance, Reno knew that beneath the soft pink, sympathetic exterior there laid an unctuous smugness. Her evil, crystalline little eyes betrayed it every time they glinted.

"Do you want to stay outside?" she asked flatly, but Reno gnashed his teeth and shoved past her, tossing his head into the air. Though she frowned behind him Lightning followed him up the steps. The part where he actually walked _inside _the building, though, was the real problem. Reno found that his palms had taken on a very wet, disgusting feel, and when he attempted opening the double glass doors at the building's entrance, his hand slipped. As he fell forward, his face brushed against the glass with a squeaking sound before he caught himself and stood upright, murmuring, "well," in a hoarse croak.

"Ladies first," mumbled Reno. Lightning shrugged and walked past him. After her was Kid, but when Max attempted to scoot forward he was stopped by Reno, who leaned into his ear and whispered, "Watch my back." Max nodded in return and trudged in behind him. The moment the party reached the lobbyist at the front desk, the woman glanced up and met eyes with Reno, giving him a steely smile. "Back again?" she asked, and Reno chortled _very _oddly- it could've even passed off as a maniacal giggle. The suave, nonchalant effort he was going for wasn't working out so well, and for perhaps the first time in his life, Reno realized that the best course of action was to say as little as possible.

Leaning in close to the receptionist, Lightning returned the woman's metallic glare. "We requested a meeting with Sephiroth." As he heard those words Reno choked on the spit in his mouth and raised his eyebrows until they were nearly half way up his forehead. "Wahhhh?" Max blurted out, and Kid stared at Lightning with eyes the size of saucers. In essence, they all looked like idiots. After looking over all of them the secretary smirked and gushed, "Oh, we can arrange a meeting," walking unabashed out from her desk.

"Would you like a tour?" she elaborated and Lightning grinned, appearing as egotistical as ever. "I think I'll be alright. But maybe Mr. Hurley would," She added, pointing to Max, who looked at her in alarm.

"I would?" he mumbled, and Lightning nodded. "It'll be good for you," She said with narrowed eyes. For a moment Max's eyes widened, but then he dulled up again and sighed, "Okay," before he smiled at the secretory in affirmation. Then they were off. The minute they were out of earshot Lightning turned to Reno.

"I want you to have the meeting with Sephiroth," Lightning muttered, and Reno's eyes almost popped out from his skull. "Alone?" he squeaked. "What happened to the valor Reno?" mocked Lightning in reply. With gritted teeth Reno hissed, "I'll meet you out front," before adding, "What're you going to do?" Lightning smiled. "Tour," She replied, before directing her attention to Kid to tell him to come along. Her companion shuffled from one foot to the other in deep excitement, blurting out a cry of yes. He almost skipped after her as she made her way down the hall, and once everyone bar himself had disappeared, Reno sat down in one of the lobby chairs twirling his thumbs as he glanced about. Every particle and utensil within the room was absent of dust, with harsh edges that gave the atmosphere a sharp, deadly sterility. Though the feeling of the place had not changed, Reno wondered what improvements had been made to Shinra's security system since he had left. The red head had to suck in deep breaths and blow them out to keep himself calm. It was a short five-minute wait until a man in a black suit plodded into the lobby to greet him. But when Reno stood and held his hand out to be shaken, the man stared from its palm back to Reno in disgust. Reno's hand faltered before he returned it to his pocket, glancing along the walls of the room adorned with the company's honors.

"Sephiroth will not be taking visitors today," growled the Turk agent. Of course Sephiroth would not be taking visitors, Reno thought to himself. Then he sighed, murmuring that he would have to sit tight and wait for his fellow agent, Max, to return. But before he could end his sentence, the Turk advanced on him until he was a few short inches away from Reno's nose. With flexed arm the man removed his sunglasses, revealing a mottled, deeply scarred visage sporting a dark grimace, and leaned closer to Reno, until the red head could feel the heat of the man's breath slipping from his nostrils. "No loitering," hissed the man, sending two puffs of hot air against Reno's skin.

"Leaving now," Reno mumbled in return, jumping back and smoothing his slacks before trudging out the door. To his dismay and surprise, the Turk followed him out of the building and tried to escort him to his car, but Reno snapped, "can't I have a coffee in this beautiful city?" and the Turk returned inside with poorly concealed vehemence. After the beast had returned inside Shinra Headquarters, Reno collapsed against the bottom steps leading to the mouth of the building. Then, after resuming his composure, he stood and headed for a coffee shop.

Back inside, Lightning and Kid hurried down the halls, slipping by Shinra employees with ease. Kid's ability to slink about without notice impressed Lightning. She had been trained as a spy by the military in Palumpolum, but Kid's ability was natural. He was lanky. Lightning wondered how old he was, and was observing him when the young man glanced over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?" he ventured, but Lightning shrugged. "Nothing." Then the woman's breath left her and she grabbed Kid's shoulder, pointing through a set of glass double doors about twenty meters ahead of them.

Inside the glass panes was a circular, door-lined chamber where a horde of employees decked in lab coats feverishly exported files from the various surrounding rooms onto trollies. The metal swinging doors spread across the room's continuous wall swung back and forth like those leading out from restaurant kitchens. Each time their metal white frames slung open they emitted lab coated men and woman, arms filled with towering piles of manila folders that they emptied onto the trollies parked at the chamber's center. Once a trolley was filled with manila folders, it was whisked through a red lined door at the west section of the hall. Lightning wondered where that door lead. Perhaps that was where important Shinra files traveled to be exterminated.

Suddenly Kid veered to the right, and Lightning trusted his instincts and copied him. They just missed the security camera inside the double doors of the circular chamber. Its little black mount pushed its lens from side to side, taking in the large expanse of hallway it peered at. "Damn," Lightning whispered to herself, her eyes trained on the camera, and Kid looked up in worry. "What's the matter?" he asked. "We can't get in and if we wait for a break the alarm will sound," murmured Lightning, scowling, "I bet it's a body heat alarm attached to the camera." She wondered if the employees' ID badges protected them from the heat sensor. As she pondered, Kid brightened up. "I watched a special on this," whispered the young man, tugging on Lightning's coat sleeve without realizing it. "They held up a sheet and it blocked the heat waves so the alarm didn't work." Lightning chuckled in reply, murmuring, "I think the camera would notice if a big sheet walked down the hall." Then she pursed her lips.

"Shit." She added, biting her fingernails. If they could just get one file. "It's now or never," Lightning hissed, "If we set off the alarm, we set it off. If the cameras record us, they record us. We lose everything if we don't try."

Kid nodded in excitement. Then Lightning frowned and gasped. Within the circular chamber a white door on the north side of the room opened, and out from its depths entered a man completely different from the other, white clad Shinra employees. He was decked in black, excepting a red tie and red-rimmed black gloves and sunglasses, and he was heading towards a blue lined door at the west end of the chamber. When Lightning peered closer she realized that he was holding a Data Retriever, a device used generously in Cocoon. Its function was the collection, compression, and transmission of groups of scanned files originally too large to store on any sole device. In other words, it was an external, portable hard drive capable of holding a library within its tiny insides.

Everything the Investigation Bureau needed lay tucked under this man's arm.

Impulsively Lightning lashed out and opened the double glass doors, slipping towards the Data Retriever with laser beam will. As she hurried through the circular chamber and through the blue lined door at the cell's south end, she thanked herself for putting on her white military coat. Amongst the hustle and bustle within the trolley room, she seemed at first glance like another employee, rushing about. But once she got inside the hallway the blue lined door emptied into, she held her breath, for the whole floor ahead was empty excepting her feet and those of the man she was pursuing. Moments passed as he sauntered forward whistling, with Lightning treading silently behind. But as time stretched on, his gate became more stressed, and he cracked his shoulder blades in discomfort. For a fraction of a second, the man cocked his head to the side, but in that moment he caught sight of Lightning's frame and went rigid with surprise. Then, he turned back in the direction he was walking and continued his gate down the hall, unperturbed.

With gritted teeth Lightning bolted after him, trying to gain on him without appearing conspicuous. His casual walk told Lightning he was close to an exit that he could disappear through. And sure enough, he turned a corner, only to be pursued by Lightning a few seconds later, who gave a sigh of appointment when she caught sight of the vision ahead. In front of her stood a door that exited out of the building. Though a heavy heart clouded her determination, Lightning bolted through it and peered outside. A bustling waste center enclosed by a high metal fence lay in front of her. Thousands of files were being destroyed by men in yellow hazard suits, burned in enormous fire pits set up in the center of the space that sent smoke billowing into the air above like black breath. The boy in black was long gone.

A hazard suit previously fixated on the task of burning files wiped his gloved hands on his thighs and trudged towards the exit door Lightning was hidden behind. At the same moment, Lightning turned around and noticed the camera down the front of the hall was turning to face her. Beside a room so vital, Shinra would not believe her if she told them she'd wandered down the hall 'by accident'. Then again, she had sustained the idiot act well. Sure she would set off the alarm, Lightning jumped and fell dumb as the hazard suit from outside pushed the exit door open and met eyes with her.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a high-pitched, nervous tone, and the alarms went off. Lightning smiled as the man pulled out a small walkie-talkie from his coat pocket. "We've got a wanderer from the Investigation Bureau," He spoke into it. Within five minutes five enormous men in black suits came forth and escorted her back to the lobby. Lightning craned her neck around to see where Kid was, but she could not find him. About ten minutes after Lightning was shoved back inside Shinra's lobby, Max entered from the other side of the room with the lobbyist tagging close behind him. "You all will be leaving now?" She announced, and Lightning and Max nodded, after which they made a bolt for the door. On their way down the steps outside, Lightning grimaced in displeasure. "If only we'd been more prepared," she complained, "If I'd brought a de-bugger, we would have been fine."

"At least we tried," commented Max, asking, "Did you find anything?" In reply Lightning nodded and explained, "A makeshift furnace room they're using to destroy the files. All important, no doubt." As she elaborated, they returned to the car. "I wonder if we can get a warrant out of this," she muttered, wishing she'd gotten a picture. Then the thought that Shinra would file a lawsuit entered her mind and she chewed her lower lip. "I should have been more prepared for this," she added with a sigh, and glanced around in worry for Kid. Then, she noticed him coming towards her from a small coffee shop down the road, along with Reno. Kid's eyes darted back and forth nervously, but Reno stared ahead with a wide, blank gaze.

"What's the matter?" Lightning ventured, but Kid looked around him before leading them back to the car. "We're in Shinra territory!" he hissed.

Once they were inside their vehicle and had begun to pull away from their parking space, Kid slipped out the file that was hidden underneath his shirt. Lightning gasped and furrowed her brows as she touched its manila surface. It held about 10 pages. As she peered up at Kid with raised brows, he indicated for her to open it. She did, but sighed after reading a few pages of its content. "It doesn't seem like much to me."

"I risked my life for that thing!" Kid responded in a snap, folding his arms over his chest, "They were guarding those files like life depended on it!"

To the surprise of the whole party Lightning chuckled. Then, self-conscious, she frowned and rubbed her tired eyes. "Once we get back to headquarters we'll see what's inside this thing," she sighed. In reply Max and Reno exchanged a look, but Kid beamed.

…..

Axel hopped over the short, white picket fence lining his house with the groceries tucked under his arms, whistling in good spirit. His last meeting with Mr. Rusko that morning had gone exceptionally well, and the man had said himself, "we have a serious chance at winning." But when Axel reached his front door, balancing the grocery bags on his hips while he fumbled through his pocket for his door key, he took a deep breath. Ventus was sprawled across the front porch, reading a magazine.

"I got your mail," the boy drawled without looking up, holding a stack of envelopes out for Axel, who set his grocery bags on the ground, took the envelopes, and sifted through them. "Thanks," he mumbled, and Ventus glanced at him and smiled. "Don't mention it."

After stuffing the envelopes under his armpit and retrieving the key from his pocket, Axel unlocked his door and picked the grocery bags up again, shoving the door open with his hip before trudging through. As he walked inside he felt Ventus' hand rest on his lower back, and the boy's breath fell on his neck as the boy shifted closer. But in discomfort Axel maneuvered his way around the boy, who shut the door while Axel hurried into the kitchen. Then shrugging, Ventus sprawled himself out on the couch.

"How's the case going?" he asked. "Really well, actually," Axel replied with careful tread, "Naminé's got me a great lawyer."

Ventus glanced at him and smiled. "That's good," he offered. Axel grinned in discomfort as he put the groceries into the cabinets and fridge. He heard his name called softly behind him, and looked over to Ventus, who was staring straight at Axel from the couch with his hands folded behind his head. "Remember the last time we did it?" murmured the blond boy. Axel nodded. "You were insensitive," Ventus hissed. Axel scowled and sat down at the table, opening his mail. There were several bills and a few advertisements. "Yeah, and?" Axel called, ripping open the electricity bill, "You weren't so nice yourself."

Ventus grinned like a Cheshire cat and lifted his left leg, slinging it over the back of the couch. "You know the way your trial is going, you'll need all the help you can get," then he touched his forefingers together. "It seems as though everything is in perfect balance right now. The tiniest thing could send your whole world to pieces." Axel stared up at Ventus before returning to his papers.

"For example," Ventus continued, holding a forefinger up, "I could say that you hurt me. People would believe it."

"You're going to accuse me of rape?" Axel snapped, but Ventus shrugged, his expression darkening as he averted his gaze. "I was furious. When the authorities took you away I contemplated telling them. But I didn't," he explained, "because I only want one thing." Then he looked up at Axel with narrowed eyes. Though the red head did not respond at first, his movements stopped and he set his bills down.

"What do you want, Ventus?" asked Axel. Ventus smirked. "I want you to do me like you would Roxas."

Axel shook his head. "I can't do that," he snapped, "I'd be lying to myself." Ventus scowled and shrugged. "You can either do it with me or with some jailbird you happen to bunk with when you get locked up. Which one would you rather take on?" he cooed. Axel bit his lip and cracked his knuckles in indecision. Then, he sighed.

"What do you want to do, Ven?" he tried, turning his kitchen chair to face the couch. Ventus grinned widely and giggled, patting the cushions beneath him. "The couch, right now." Axel sucked in a deep breath and averted his gaze to the windows. "Lea might be coming home," he muttered. Ventus frowned. "Tell him not to come home tonight. He can stay with that friend of his, right?"

Axel rubbed at his eyes before nodded and pushed himself up from his seat, lumbering towards the phone. He picked it off the receiver and phoned Lea, shuffling his feet as the dial tone rang. There was a click and Lea's exited voice called "hey!" across the line. Axel rubbed his eyes. "Do you want to stay with Isa tonight?" he sighed.

"No, not really," Lea chirped in response, "I was planning on coming home, why?"

"Maybe it would be good if you stayed with him one more night," Axel tried, but there was silence across the phone. Then Lea hung up. With a sigh Axel forced himself to put the phone back on the receiver without slamming it. "What did he say?" Ventus called from the living room, not caring, but Axel shrugged. "Nothing. He was disappointed though," he added.

"You can't help it with people like that," Ventus muttered. Then he sighed n irritation. "Do I have to tell you to come over or can you figure that out yourself?" he snapped, and Axel clenched his fists but put on a smile. "No," the man cooed, walking to the couch and leaning over, crawling over Ventus' body and kissing the boy's chest.

Ventus looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression as Axel kissed him. "I woke up sweating last night. I was panicking," He whispered, and Axel moved his lips up to Ventus' neck.

"Then, I turned around and I saw Roxas. He was sleeping like a baby- literally. He looked so small and sweet…" murmured Ventus, but then giggled. "It tickles, the way you kiss my neck. I can feel the pressure of your lips on my voice box. It's weird." With a sigh, the boy closed his eyes before continuing, "I couldn't help but touch him. And I swear, the minute I put my fingers on his face, he shivered. And then he sighed," He added, watching every reaction on Axel's face. The man's brows crinkled together in one jagged line, but his long black eyelashes fell over his green irises, masking their shape. Ventus closed his eyes. His forehead was beading sweat. "I stroked his face. And then, Axel…" Ventus grinned, looking Axel straight in the eyes. "…I kissed him. I couldn't stop myself."

Axel pressed his fingernails into Ventus' arms, and heard the boy take in a sharp breath at the sudden discomfort. With shaking hands the man unbuttoned and removed Ventus' jeans, flinging them to the side as he pushed the boy's shirt up around his armpits. Axel began to play with Ventus' nipples, licking them, and before regaining his composure the boy giggled.

"I kissed him once and knew I could get away with it. He hadn't even flinched. So I kissed him again and I reached my hands up under his shirt and pressed my fingers around his nipple, and I rubbed it, and he sighed in his sleep." Axel bit down on Ventus' nipple when he said this, and Ventus gritted his teeth, but continued anyway. "I traced circles around his belly button, Axel, and then, I swear I was going to stop- but he moaned!" hissed the blond with relish, and Axel nuzzled his nose into Ventus' belly. With effort, he shoved his hand down Ventus' briefs and began to rub in between his thighs, thwarting Ventus' voice in the moment the boy gasped.

"I stroked him, Axel," recovered Ventus through jagged breaths. "And I kissed him again. He came, you know. I held him. I could feel his heartbeat."

Axel rubbed Ventus faster and faster, his hands shaking in anger.

"But that's our secret, right, Axel?" Ventus breathed.

With sudden viciousness Axel licked his finger and shoved it inside Ventus, making the boy cry out. As Axel moved his finger around, Ventus reached forward and undid Axel's jeans, pushing his pants and underwear down to his thighs as he inched towards him. Disgusted but uncaring, nights in Organization returned to Axel's mind, having sex with people he did not like at all. Then looking in mirrors and worrying that he was the same type of person as them. As Axel felt a soft wetness surround his penis, he let his face collapse into the crook of Ventus' neck, and the boy kissed his hair as the man continued to finger him. But before either came, Axel shoved Ventus' head away from his groin and took his finger out from inside the boy's body, lowering his hips towards Ventus' backside. When he pushed himself inside Ventus the boy's eyes went wide with shock and discomfort, and he clutched Axel's back in desperation.

As Axel moved back and forth faster, Ventus panted and shook, and his head jerked from side to side. The boy gritted his teeth and clenched his knuckles into fists, but then he began to shake his head. Axel's eyes were trained on the boy's chest, which rose and fell like a little animal's. "Ax-Axel," Ventus huffed, pressing his hands onto Axel's stomach and pushing back. Axel batted them away and thrust harder against Ventus, who cried out before shutting his eyes and taking in sharp breaths. The man could feel himself steering towards climax, and he could feel it in the tremors of Ventus', though the boy lay unmoving beneath him. "Axel, stop," Ventus muttered between ragged breaths, but Axel continued going, pressing his hands on either side of Ventus' face with closed eyes. "Axel, you're hurting me!" cried Ventus, and the boy dug his nails into Axel's forearms as he whimpered. In a jolt of shock Axel snapped out of his reverie and leaned back, pulling out of Ventus in inadvertent motion. Like a windup toy Ventus' legs and arm shrunk towards his chest, and Axel could almost hear his metal gears turning as his limbs curled together in discordant beats. "Ventus," murmured Axel, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair, but Ventus was silent and still, a little ball of flesh huddled into the right corner of the couch.

With a scowl, Axel shook his head and jumped off the couch, kicking his jeans and underwear from around his ankles and walking upstairs with his t-shirt raised around his pectorals. When he got into the bathroom, he opened the toilet seat and finished. Then, he washed his hands, cleaned off the toilet seat, and put on some shorts and boxers from his room before he descended the stairs to retrieve his dirty clothes. As he strolled over to the couch, he caught sight of Ventus, who bent his head away and covered his eyes, rubbing them before he turned back and stared at his fingers. Axel's shoulders sank as he moved closer to the boy, but he reached out and touched his shoulder with a gentle palm. "Are you alright?" he mumbled. Ventus shrugged and Axel gulped. "A- are you bleeding?" the red head whispered.

Ventus shrugged again and looked out the window. His eyes were puffy. "Whatever," he muttered. Then he stood up and ascended the stairs to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Axel rubbed his face and grimaced, sinking down onto the couch and wincing. A few minutes passed until Axel heard his name called. Realizing that it was Ventus, he bounded up the stairs and tried to open the door, which was still locked. The shower water was running. Once he knocked on the door and announced himself, Ventus inched the door open and peered out at him with furrowed brows. "Do you want to take a shower?" Ventus mumbled. When Axel nodded, Ventus let him in. The boy was already wet, and he shivered as he stepped back into the shower and beckoned for Axel to come in after him. Axel took his clothes back off and pushed the shower curtain back, stepping in after Ventus.

For a minute the two men stood staring at each other with their arms folded in front of them. The water fell over Ventus' back and rippled down his arms and legs, so hot it made them grow pink. "The water too hot for you?" he snapped, but Axel shrugged and tried to smile. "I like boiling showers."

Ventus nodded and turned away, glancing back at Axel, who unfolded his arms. "Do you want me to wash your hair?" Axel tried and Ventus shrugged. Turning around, he handed the shampoo to Axel, who squeezed some into his hands and massaged it into Ventus' hair. As he began to relax, the boy's tensed shoulders fell, and he sighed when Axel turned him around and put his hair back under the hot water. Ventus let his head go limp as Axel held the back of his neck so that the water didn't fall over his face, his other arm circled around Ventus' waist. When the blond boy opened his eyes, his cheeks were glowing again and he smiled, picking up the conditioner and handing it to Axel. Axel rubbed that into the boy's hair but waited a few moments before washing it out. Then Ventus got the supplies in his hands to do Axel's hair.

"Your hair is really thick," he mumbled as he heaped globs of shampoo into his hands. "Hey, don't use too much," warned Axel in response, "Just get the roots, I don't worry about the tips." Ventus grinned and rubbed the shampoo onto Axel's scalp. In response the red head closed his eyes and chuckled, sighing in pleasure. Afterwards Ventus rubbed conditioner onto Axel's hair and rinsed it out, combing his fingers through it. Axel lathered the shower soap in his hands and rubbed it across Ventus' back and chest and under his arms. But when he trailed his fingers up between Ventus' thighs, the boy stopped him. "I'll do that part myself," he mumbled, making Axel raise his brows in surprise. Then, the boy snapped, "Unless you want to," but Axel shook his head, muttering, "It's fine."

Before handing the soap to Ventus, Axel glanced at the small lathered cube in his hands. But once he'd handed the piece over, he raised his arms over his head and sighed, "alright." To Axel's surprise, instead of washing him, Ventus reached out and embraced him, pressing every inch of himself against Axel's skin. Then the boy peered up at him and patted him on the head. "I love you, Axel," he said in a strangled voice.

Axel furrowed his brows in confusion before patting Ventus on the back with hesitance. "Okay," mumbled Axel in a stutter, and Ventus was silent beneath him.

As the two finished their shower and Axel dried himself off he caught sight of Ventus glancing in the mirror. A sad, stupid child stared back.

...

A ring extended from the entrance hall as Sephiroth sat in Xehanort's mansion living room sipping coffee, commanding his attention enough for him to glance in the direction of the front door. A butler strode past from down the stairs and opened its tall frame, bowing to Xehanort's ambassador as the young man hurried inside. While the butler asked Sephiroth if he needed anything else, the ambassador strode up the stairs to the office, where Xehanort was looking over Shinra paperwork. Setting his coffee aside, Sephiroth slipped up the stairs and stood behind the office door in curiosity, listening to the conversation going on within.

"Is it true that the former Turk paid a visit?" murmured Xehanort, and the ambassador responded yes, adding, "the Pulse military woman was located in the fire burning room." The boy and Master Xehanort continued to speak in low, urgent voices, and after preliminary information Xehanort asked if the infiltrators had stolen any data."

"Nothing worthwhile," The ambassador replied, and Xehanort contemplated. "They're smarter than I believed. Especially the girl. Does she have any family?" he questioned, but the ambassador shook his head and murmured, "All dead." Xehanort growled. "We can't do anything to stop her?" he tried, but the ambassador shook his head again. "She is a blank book." Xehanort rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "We will have to be extra careful, then. Cut off Hojo," he added, but the ambassador pursed his lips. "He is in a high security prison cell in the middle of the Investigation Bureau's headquarters."

With a cracking thud of his cane Xehanort heaved himself up from his chair and paced, cursing below his breath. "I should have disposed of him while I could!" he added in a growl before turning to his ambassador and taking hold of the boy's shoulder.

"From now on we sever all leads," he hissed, whispering, "Do not let Sephiroth near him."

To this Sephiroth's ears perked up, and he became truly curious.

"I will speak to him," Xehanort murmured, "And has the little girl been taken care of?"

The ambassador raised his eyebrows, but then he understood and nodded. "Marluxia has been tipped off," he murmured. Xehanort nodded and tapped his cane on the ground. "Prepare to feed the press."

With a dismissive palm Xehanort ordered away his ambassador, who nodded and departed from Xehanort. When the young man filed out of the room, Sephiroth stepped out from behind its door with a penetrating glare, stopping the dark boy in his tracks. For a flicker of a moment the ambassador's face contorted into a grimace, but then he cooled and passed Sephiroth as if the man were a shadow, slipping down the stairs and out the back door. As Sephiroth entered Xehanort's office without invitation, he spied the dark boy's tall frame walking away from the mansion and disappearing into the line of trees that surrounded it. The old man seated at the desk ahead gave a tap of his cane and redirected Sephiroth's attention, pointing to the chair before his desk. As Sephiroth sat down in reluctance, Xehanort slipped a file out from the middle drawer of his desk and slammed it between Sephiroth's palms, which were rested against the edge of the desk. "Open it," he hissed, and Sephiroth did so. The younger man's breath sucked in as he scanned the documents heading, but before he had the chance to exhale Xehanort took the pages from him and settled into the chair across, reading parts out loud as he skimmed through its leaves.

"You were experimented on as a child by your father, Hojo, in a project titled 'Project S'?" asked the old master calmly, and Sephiroth nodded. "Ten years ago, a year before Master Eraqus was ousted, you found out for the first time?" inquired the older man further. Sephiroth nodded again. "You _returned _to Shinra Mansion, located Hojo's laboratory and his files detailing the experiments, and _remembered _your childhood, spent in a tank or on an operating table?"

"Yes." Sephiroth hissed in reply. "How did you remember?" asked Xehanort. "It's a type of hypnotic technique they used," Sephiroth responded, "It uses a trigger memory to set it off."

"Which is what they used on Zack Fair, isn't it?" Xehanort responded. Sephiroth was silent.

"They used it on Zack Fair. He was the one that found you amongst the burning buildings admiring your handiwork," murmured the old man further. Sephiroth nodded.

"And now, he is in a high security jail cell, being questioned by the Investigation Bureau for the murder of Rufus Shinra. Suppose they have located files on the Nibelheim Incident that Shinra covered up for you? What if Zack suddenly remembers?" Xehanort projected. "What if it leads to you? To me?"

As Sephiroth puzzled over the file in front of him Xehanort was silent. Then the old man said, "I know about President Shinra, Sephiroth," making Sephiroth cringe. "Why did you kill him?" Xehanort murmured. Sephiroth shrugged. "I don't know," he sighed, "he made me angry."

Xehanort smiled in response. "He was my friend, you know." Sephiroth looked away. Then, the elderly man chortled. "Well, forgive and forget." To this Sephiroth sighed in relief, but Xehanort stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I extracted you from jail because you interested me. I believed I could collaborate with you," he explained, intoning, "but the effects of your anger are catastrophic," as Sephiroth pursed his lips, waiting for the man to continue. "You must trust me," murmured Xehanort finally, "You must do as I say without a second thought. You must not hide anything from me. And most importantly," he added with a calculated hiss, "You must make no more mistakes."

Staring at his clenched fist with bitter hatred, Sephiroth acquiesced, but replied, "As long as I get what I want."

In response, a grin spread across Xehanort's mouth, and he tapped his cane thrice against the oaken floor beneath his feet. "You will get what you want, Sephiroth," the man intoned. "Mark that. You will get what you want."

23


	9. Negotiation

With a bright sun overhead, Naminé strolled towards the Market Street Bank in Twilight Town. The taste of salt lingered in the air around her, raised from beneath the cliffs at her back and blown in the direction of her feet. Xion was running errands for the day, but she hadn't said where she was going. As the bank came into view ahead, Naminé got the bad feeling that she had misplaced her card. But, rummaging through her purse, she breathed a sigh of relief as her hands closed around its slight form. She retrieved it from her purse as she mounted the building's front steps, taking in another scent of the summer air before she walked inside. As usual, the air in the bank was stagnant and cold, blown in by the vents on all sides of its high ceiling. Naminé shivered in her white skirt and blouse, but shook the cold off and walked towards the counter and stood in line. When she reached the clerk, she smiled and asked for 10,000 munny from her account.

"How are you doing, Namine?" the clerk chirped.

"I'm doing wonderful," Namine sighed with relish. "How are you?" she added, and the girl sighed, moving her fingers through her hair. "I'm fine. I'm thinking of going back to school."

"Do you know what you want to do?" asked Naminé, but the woman shrugged. "My parents wanted me to be an accountant, but I'm just a clerk. Which is _important_. But… you know," She laughed, pulling up Namine's account. "Congrats on your art school!" She bubbled. "I'm really excited," replied Naminé, looking down. "My friend Xion and I are having a victory dinner. She got into the law school of her choice and we're both all paid, so-"

A beeping sound interrupted Naminé's relaying of good fortune, and the clerk frowned as she skimmed over the green wording on the ancient computer screen in front of her before murmuring, "It says your account's been frozen..." Then, she clamped her mouth shut and looked closer at the screen, mumbling a breathy "wow". As both glanced upwards they met each other's eyes, but the desk clerk's gaze clicked down in an instant of the contact, directed back to her computer screen while Naminé stared at her in befuddlement. "Well?" the blonde girl finally asked, adding, "What's the matter?" But the clerk shrugged. "Maybe something's wrong with the machine. I can't give you anything. Let me try again."

Naminé wrung her fingers as the clerk tried several times to access her data. Scowling, the clerk muttered that she'd call a supervisor, and in a few moments the bank manager walked from the back office of the building directly towards Naminé sporting a cool glance. With a quick smile he murmured "hello," and Naminé returned the greeting. In dispassionate inflection the man informed her that her bank was not permitted to access her account, but had been told to contact the authorities if she tried. At those words, Naminé began to back away from him in confusion and fear, stopped in her tracks by two bank cops who filed forward from the door and strode towards her. The men gripped her shoulders on either side and grumbled, "We will accompany you home," displaying their badges with deep frowns. In a daze, Naminé mumbled, "okay," in reply, and was led towards their cop car. Within moments they had her set in the backseat of the car and she was being driven towards home, like a child picked up from school, completely dependent on the actions of her guardians, completely independent of the course of her future.

As the city landscape blurred by in a sea of warm clay outside the window, Naminé racked her brain thinking of what she had done wrong. But nothing would come to mind. Then, she froze, sucking in a deep breath that made the cops at the front of the car stare back in suspicion. Forcing herself to calm down, the girl breathed in and out in steady puffs, while the clay buildings surrounding her gave way to the green forest that was the prerequisite to her mansion. Once its grey peaks came into view, and then once its warm surrounding stonewall was visible, the cop car was parked and Naminé dropped her purse as she stepped out. Two other flashing cop cars stood parked outside her house, and a normal, black sleek car was positioned close by. When Naminé drew close enough to spy the vehicle's license plate, she saw that its origin was in the City That Never Was. Then her eyes were drawn to the front door, which was unlocked.

Once inside the foyer, Naminé heard a high-pitched voice, angry but scared, calling out from the White Room, and with clenched fists the blonde broke away from the policemen and hurried towards it. Standing within were the two cops from the previously parked car, and as she rounded the corner of the doorframe, a suited man with a briefcase in hand came into view. The entry was half opened, and the three figures were visible through the slit of light that extended from the window through the space between the doorframe and the door itself. Pressing her hand to the white wood barring herself from Xion, Naminé watched as the slit of vision grew and the door fell aside. Across from the cops and suited man was Xion, backing towards the right wall of the room, shouting at a tall man standing in front of her. When Naminé focused on this man, her breath left her body and black stars invaded her vision like little writhing beetles. As Xion averted her eyes from the man at her front, she noticed Naminé slump over in the doorway, falling against its frame and to the ground. Then, letting out a gasp Xion started towards her friend, pushing past the man blocking her way, but he gripped her shoulder, murmuring in a soft voice, "I'll get her." Rushing over, he collected Naminé from her crumpled position and cradled her as if she were a porcelain doll. When she opened her eyes she whimpered.

Marluxia let his hair fall down, covering the left side of his face that was bent towards the others in the room, and smiled down at Naminé with narrowed eyes. "There's no need to worry. I've got you now."

…

With a loud sigh, Reno flicked through the limited amount of pages contained in Kid's Shinra file. They were security documents from the old surveillance system in Shinra- that had since been changed- and a bunch of military codes that Reno could not understand. Seated beside him with a pencil between her teeth was Lightning, trying to decipher the words. Suddenly, as if gifted a brilliant idea she jumped up and pointed her pencil at Reno's nose with wide eyes.

"Rabbit!" She snapped, lifting her pencil in the air. Reno stared at her in confusion before barking, "And what in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lightning furrowed her eyebrows. "You know, the code they used for the reactors- it was the shark. There were only five animals they used as symbols- the snake, the dragon, for power and for the Wutai Wars, and then… there were others, but I distinctively remember there being a rabbit," She finished, but Reno just gaped at her. Then, with a wry smile he leaned forward, gushing, "Oh… so out of the shark, the snake, the dragon- and the _rabbit- _the rabbit's the ticket?" causing a frown to spread across Lightning's face.

"I'm just trying to help," She muttered, putting her head down again and chewing on her pencil. Reno sighed, rubbing his eyes and his forehead, and then stretched. The pair had been up the whole night, and Reno for one was exhausted. Max and Kid had gone home ages ago. Kid had been so disappointed with the file that he couldn't work properly, and moped around fiddling on the computer. Max had gone through two packs of cigarettes in two hours, so they told him to leave too. Reno sighed, mumbling, "I know. I'm sorry."

Lightning couldn't help but smile in return. "It's okay," She said, but her expression became puzzled as she flipped to the last page in the packet. "Look, there's a diagram on this," She commented, pointing to the rendering at its center. It seemed misplaced from the rest of the data. On its glossy front was a picture of a hand, held out in front of a calm, celestial face, with stars circling it. The style seemed hieroglyphic, yet it was apparent it had been drawn recently. Reno shrugged as he glanced over it. "Maybe someone got bored and started to doodle," He tried. Lightning smiled again. It seemed the longer she stayed up the more bearable she was to be around. But she shrugged. "It's probably important in _some _way, but I don't see a connection. Maybe it got bunched in with these files by accident. It's too different."

Reno paused, before his eyes flashed and he gasped, "you don't think it's a _code _do you?" in feigned wonder. Lightning smirked, and shrugged in reply, but Reno sprang up from his chair.

"It's the rabbit!" he whispered, and Lightning threw back her head and laughed. Then, as she tilted her visage back to Reno, her smile vanished and she put her hand over her mouth, gazing off into space. There was silence as she processed, but soon she murmured, "That's the first time I've laughed in ages," followed with a thoughtful pause. In response Reno chuckled, cocking his head to the side and grinning at her. "You should laugh more," he whispered.

Lightning smiled again and shrugged. "Well, it's been hard for me, what with everything that's..." she trailed off, a shadow passing over her eyes, and looked down at her fingers. "Since the war?" Reno offered. Lightning chuckled and shook her head, gazing out the window into the city lights. "Oh, it started before that, long before that," she sighed. The hardness that seemed ingrained on her skin crept back into her soft features, but Reno sighed and scooted beside her, folding his arms in front of him and looking out the window. Lightning interrupted his thoughts by prodding his shoulder, and he glanced at her with raised eyebrows as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Reno, why did you leave the Turks?" asked Lightning. "Why are you here?" Reno shrugged, murmuring, "I just needed a change in scenery, I guess. After my dad died I started to think about my own life. I have a little brother," he added with a chuckle. But his smile faded as he corrected, "Two little brothers," in a mutter. "Axel and Lea."

Lightning furrowed her eyebrows. "Axel?" she asked, "the one who's been convicted of the Organization Thirteen scandals?" Reno nodded in return, but elaborated, "Axel's been having a hard time. He's not fit to look after a kid let alone himself. But after the funeral I got the house. They needed it more than I did," murmured the redhead in explanation. "And besides, they needed a provider. In a way I'm giving Axel responsibility. Right?" Reno glanced towards Lightning for encouragement, but the woman was silent for a moment, tapping her pencil to her mouth.

"Do you feel selfish because you're not there?" she asked. Reno's shoulders sagged. "I guess."

"You know, I have a sibling, too," Lightning interjected. "Really?" Reno asked in reply, swiveling his chair to face her. Lightning nodded and mumbled, "Serah," in a soft hum. "Pretty name," whispered Reno in response. At this Lightning chuckled, her cheeks pinking and her face brightening. "She's smart. She got straight A's in everything. She finished college in two years, and she was teaching primary school in…New Bodhum," She trailed into a mumble, and Reno scratched his head. "_New _Bodhum?" He restated, but Lightning nodded, furrowing her brows.

"After the war, Cocoon was fragmented. Cities were in ruins. Bodhum was a ghost town; Hanging Edge and Lake Bresha were destroyed. Eden was hanging in the air by a thread because its power source was gone… it was no wonder that new cities sprang up in the surrounding area, Gran Pulse," She explained, "New Bodhum was one of them. They're rebuilding the old one, but now there's a new one. That's where Serah lived," she muttered, turning back to the Shinra files and rifling through them. Reno wondered at her sudden detachment.

"But, anyway," she cleared her throat, "she was teaching in New Bodhum, and then more trouble started and…" as she trailed off again she bowed her head, so that the stuttering silence that had accompanied her reflections lengthened. But it was broken by Reno's hand, raised and rested on Lightning's shoulder. Glancing into Reno's eyes, Lightning pursed her lips. "I lost my father when I was a child- my mother when I was fifteen. I looked after my little sister. She was my world," she mumbled. "I'd planned a vacation before the Purge started. We were going for my birthday, and then _it _happened. Everything," she chuckled. Reno stared at her as she spoke, watching her facial expressions change. Then she became hard again, pointing her finger at Reno in decision.

"It may sound stupid to you right now, but listen to your feelings," intoned the woman. "When I listened to mine it was too late. Don't forget what's important to you. If you ignore it, you may as well not have it."

After finishing, Lightning folded her arms and waited for a response. But Reno just nodded, at a loss for words. "Good," she whispered in return. Then, she coughed and started digging through the Shinra papers. "I can never talk about my personal life without sounding sanctimonious," she chuckled, adding, "I shouldn't be talking about it full stop," with a frown before growing silent again.

"Don't worry about it," tried Reno in reply, beaming, "You've had a hard day." The corners of Lightning's mouth turned up into a grin and she chuckled. "You've had a long day too, you know."

To this Reno laughed out loud and grinned. "Well, I was _made _to take the heat," he whispered, adding, "It's nothin' to me." Lightning looked down guiltily. Then she sighed and sat up straight with her head held high again. "Listen, about what I said when we first met…" she started, pausing a long time. Reno let her keep going.

"I said you were just a pawn of the BI, and… I just wanted to, you know…. I'm sorry," She finished at breakneck speed, and then clamped her mouth shut and folded her arms over her chest. "So there it is," She added, and Reno smiled. "What's with the grin?" she growled in response. Reno shrugged.

"It doesn't matter anymore, let's get back to work."

"No, I want to know what you were grinning at me for," snapped Lightning, but Reno put his hands up.

"Just chill out, Light," He drawled. Lightning's reply was a wide gape, before she stood stock straight and cleared her throat while Reno groaned, preparing for the rant.

"My name is Lightning Farron!" began Lightning in a boom. "I will NOT be identified by a stupid pet name! This is a professional..."

Reno watched her as she spoke, examining the contours of her face, the way she spoke, her eyes. Then, as he continued to examine her, he got an idea, and felt like it was the right thing to do. He grabbed her, pulled her close, kissed her passionately on the lips, and enjoyed the bliss. Unfortunately, the bliss didn't last too long.

After slamming her steel lined boots into his toes Lightning kneed him in the groin and punched him in the face, barely missing his nose. As he went down she slapped him hard, but while he tumbled down behind his chair and his legs flew into the air, he got the idea that he'd exercised bad judgment. Kneeling beside him and ignoring his yelps of pain as she picked him up by the scruff of the neck, Lightning glared straight into his eyes.

"Don't you ever pull that on me again, you perverted piece of shit!" she hissed, and then jumped up and stomped over to the coat rack outside of Reno's office. Reno tried hobbling over to her, but the toes on his left foot were killing him.

"Wait, where are you going? We've hardly found anything!" he shouted, and Lightning glared at him. "Find it your damn self," she barked, "I'm going home," and slammed the door behind her, leaving. Reno punched Kid's desk, hurting his hand, before deciding to go back into his office. He hobbled inside, hoping that she hadn't broken his foot, and padded around his eye tenderly. It hurt like hell. "Fuck," He whispered, and then plopped down into his desk chair, looking up at the ceiling. Sighing to himself, he directed his attention back to the papers.

While skimming down the third page he caught a familiar set of numbers, realizing that they were the old code for the file room, which had no doubt been changed. There was also a page of codes dating back to the Wutai War. Reno guessed that it was for old launch areas. A different code system had been used for the Wutai War. If Reno's team were to decipher them, they'd have to be assisted by an expert, and it was unlikely that these numbers would help their case. President Shinra had been dead five years, so it would be no use convicting him. But, perhaps there would be something connecting him to a benefactor, or someone he had angered enough to kill him.

Reno scratched his head and scribbled down some notes to himself, sighing. He felt useless. Even if he _had_ been given this investigation because of his previous employer, he wasn't helping much. To his discomfort, He was finding that he hadn't known much about the organization he had worked for.

Unequipped, like Axel. With a frown he imagined his brother finally getting a laugh. He'd called Axel useless so many times. Thinking back on their childhood he remembered all of the times he'd made Axel cry, and all of a sudden he felt guilty. Sighing, Reno shuffled the pages of codes like a deck of cards, his vision falling again on the picture of the heavenly face. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind, telling him that it was important, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. But as he examined the picture closer he was sure that he had seen it somewhere before. Then, an idea struck him.

He hobbled out of the office and down the stairs, punched in the leaving code, and made for his car. Then, he drove to the art museum that lay on the outskirts of Midgar at about ninety miles per hour. After he'd whizzed to a stop and parked the car he hobbled over to the entrance, where the remaining museum security cop was just turning to lock up. "Hey!" Reno shouted, and the man whizzed around, his eyes going wide with anxiety as he responded, "sorry sir, museum is closed," in a shaky voice. His right hand vibrated as it hovered towards his handgun, and he pointed at Reno with his left forefinger. In reply Reno rolled his eyes, "Phil, relax. It's only me," and the little man in front of him loosened up. "Aw, man, you scared me half to death," He breathed, "What is it that you needed, old boy?" He added, and Reno grinned and pointed to the door. "I need in, Phil."

"Can't let you do that, Reno," snapped Phil in sudden return, spreading his legs out and standing like a stone in front of the doorway. "We're closed. Come again tomorrow. Open at 8," He added, but Reno chuckled and held out his badge. "It's important, Phil. I'm doing an investigation." Phil faltered at this, peering at Reno's badge. Then he narrowed his eyes. "How's Shinra?"

Reno waved his hands away from him. "That's in the past," he muttered. Phil nodded, shrugging. "Hours are hours, Reno. But if the investigation was important enough to involve me, I could make an exception." He peeped at Reno with a sheepish glance and Reno chuckled, beckoning for Phil to open the door. A beam spread across Phil's features as he turned around and took out his set of keys to open the door. After locking the front doors again, he led Reno in behind him towards the front desk. "Some of the curators are still here, but I can escort you around," he explained. "What are you investigating?" he added in an offhand way, but he wrung his palms with excitement as he spoke. "We're investigating Shinra," mumbled Reno, "I can't say much else." Phil scowled as they walked. "I'm a cop, Reno! You can tell me!"

"It's top secret stuff, Phil. Besides, you know more than the public at this point," He added. Phil glanced back at him with narrowed eyes and acquiesced, "Okay," turning around to face Reno. "So, where do you want to go?"

Reno looked around and pursed his lips. "Have you got a section with really old artwork?" he asked. "How old?" Phil replied. Reno shrugged. "Ancient."

Once he'd followed Phil into the Ancient Art section Reno got to work, peering at every relic with as detailed a glance as possible. Nothing included the heavenly face. Reno sighed. "Do you want to talk to an expert?" Phil asked and Reno nodded, to which Phil snapped, "Follow me," leading Reno through the hallway and down the stairs towards a restricted curating room. As he knocked on one of the glass entrance doors, the silhouette of a bent figure cast itself on the translucent surface, blurring as the pane it lay behind opened. A wizened old man hobbled out from inside and peered up at the pair through thick circular glasses, but stared at Reno as he asked Phil if he needed help. Phil pointed to Reno, replying, "This guy's got a few questions for you." Slipping the picture from his pocket, Reno held it out for the curator with hesitance. But as the old man took the photo from the younger man's fingers he let out a sigh and chuckled, before examining the picture more closely. A brief moment passed, and he looked up at Reno in wonder. "Who are you?" he asked. Reno pursed his lips, muttering, "sorry," and leaning closer to hear, but the old man shook his head. "I suppose it wouldn't matter now that it's done," he murmured to himself before looking up and holding out the picture for Reno. "This is a picture of the Hand of Cetra," announced the curator. Though Reno stared at him, the old man pointed at the picture.

"This is a redrawn outline of a pictograph within the Temple of the Ancients. It was one of the least known of the various depicted legends within the temple, and this is only a portion of it," He added, clearing his throat.

"This person is a Cetra," began the old man, glancing to Reno every once in a while for encouragement. "The stars describe how they traveled, and the number of stars indicate how long they traveled. The symbols on the hand indicate the search for the Promised Land, but the original pictograph depicted wisps of smoke ascending from the fingers, indicating the Cetra's deep connection with the Life stream. It's a biography of their race, so much detail in just a few strokes! It is a pity that you are only holding an outline of the original," added the curator with a sigh, "A pity that you had not seen the real thing." Then he shook his head. Reno nodded, remembering how the Temple had been destroyed years back. But why would Shinra, in the middle of thousands of military codes, hold a reprint of a goddess?

"Regardless, you are holding something very special," added the old man in a mumble, patting Reno on the back and returning to his office, glancing at Phil before he left. As he stared at the picture with new eyes, Reno nodded.

…

**3 Days Later**

Xehanort peered between the boughs of the trees surrounding his home and headquarters, tucked deep inside the forest on the outskirts of the City That Never Was. Collectively the area was called the Land That Never Was, but the surrounding scape of the city had been all but forgotten. To Xehanort, this was preferable. His gaze had been directed to that line of trees for a long while. He felt as though something very dear to him would culminate in their deep shadows.

A tap on his office door trained Xehanort's eyes towards his ambassador, who strolled inside the room and stood in silence before the large oaken surface. He was clothed in his usual attire, but his gloves, hat, and glasses had been discarded, revealing his scarred hands and his crystalline yellow eyes. Chuckling, Xehanort offered him a chair, but the young man stood rigid in shock, hesitating. "Sit down, Vanitas," Xehanort elaborated. As the muscles in the young man's jaws tightened he stepped forward, reaching for the seat in front of Xehanort's desk and pulling it back slowly. When he sat down, his eyes trailed narrowed from Xehanort's expression to the paperwork on his desk. Before the old man could sweep the pages into a manila folder, the boy scanned the word 'shipment', and directed his eyes upward while the folder was distributed into the desk's front drawer.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me, boy?" Xehanort asked, and Vanitas glanced up at him.

"The girl Naminé is due for her Disney City court case in four days," murmured the dark boy, "A meeting with the king has been scheduled. The proceedings have been documented in the news. But there is a new problem." Xehanort stared at him in silent expectance.

"A file from Shinra is missing," murmured the boy in hissed response, and Xehanort's fingers curled around the arms of his chair as he growled, "What?"

"While documenting Shinra files before destroying them, it was discovered that one folder was missing," hurried Vanitas. "It held various insignificant military codes dating from the Wutai War. But, there was one piece of information that seemed to have been misplaced, deposited within it by accident."

"The memory code for Zack Fair?" Xehanort ventured, and Vanitas nodded. Xehanort stroked his chin. "Well, then," the old man sighed finally, "We must be prepared to lose Sephiroth. I am disappointed. He had hardly any time to carry out his job." Directing his gaze out the back window once again, the tendons that circled around the bones of his neck flexed as he ground his teeth. "I had Shinra in the palm of my hands," he seethed, sighing. "If it weren't for my associates I would command two regions by now," as he glanced at Vanitas and narrowed his calculating eyes, Vanitas stared back at him, his heart beating harder. A foreboding presence draped itself about his shoulders and he shook, making his master exhale the breath he had previously held.

"You have been a satisfactory assistant, despite everything," Xehanort murmured, "You are like a son to me." The tenseness in Vanitas' shoulders dissipated. "Yes, former," whispered the boy, but Xehanort chuckled, staring at Vanitas as he tried to stand. Then he tapped his cane and gripped its handle so that Vanitas seated himself again. While the young man waited in earnest, Xehanort touched his forefinger to his temple, rubbing in between his eyes in displeasure.

"I was going to delay giving you this sour news, but now is as good a time as any," the old master sighed and Vanitas' jaw tightened again, "I don't suppose you remember your condition nine years ago, just before you were supplied with your first batch of neotenebrin?" Xehanort inquired. Vanitas winced, glancing away with a smoldering gaze. Xehanort chuckled. "Five years after my son first supplied you with heartless medication our store was exhausted. Thankfully, at the end of those five years we discovered the machine Maleficent used to create synthetic heartless. Do you recall what occurred next?"

Vanitas' eyes grew wide as he was forced to explain. "New heartless were created. Maleficent was arrested and the machine destroyed," he snapped. Xehanort nodded. "Due to the efforts of the BI, the heartless have reached extinction, and with them, neotenebrin. Maleficent's machine is destroyed. My eldest son is gone. Ansem's reports do not provide sufficient blueprints to recreate the mechanism."

"Has my current medicine store run out?" Vanitas interrupted. Xehanort stared at him. But as the old man leaned forward Vanitas shrunk back with uneasiness. "Next month's batch is coming as we speak. But that is the end, Vanitas."

The young man gulped as he stared at his master, processing the statement in his mind while opening and closing his mouth in disbelief. "Is there any way to... avoid..." Vanitas tried, taking deep breaths, but Xehanort shook his head. "Xemnas would be our sole hope. But the way things are moving at this point, it would take years to acquire funds and security to carry out such experiments to create new neotenebrin."

Vanitas rubbed his hair violently and stood, leaning towards Xehanort on desperate impulse. "I will work harder," he hissed, "I will kill Zack Fair myself." With a responding chortle Xehanort held up his hand and Vanitas ceased talking, his shoulders still taught with movement and his nostrils flaring with breath. "Perhaps you should have examined your work ethic ten years back, when you failed to create the X-blade with Ventus," Xehanort intoned. A whine escaped Vanitas throat, but he did not speak. His scarred fingers were curled into deep fists. Xehanort scowled at Vanitas, before standing with the support of his cane.

"Do not think this is easy for me to impart," growled the man. "I am losing a gifted assailant. I will now have no trustworthy counterpart to assist me." Vanitas nodded at this in eager agreement, but Xehanort glanced at him with a cold gaze.

"The only way to rectify this problem is through trust," explained Xehanort. "I do trust you!" Vanitas cried out in reply, but Xehanort tapped his cane on the ground and glowered at Vanitas, who fell back in his chair with his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking with anger. "Remember, Vanitas," Xehanort intoned. Then, the rims of his eyes softened, though yellow jacket irises that bored into his skull still shone with intensity. "I created you," he whispered, gentle. "Your life is within my hands. You must show me that it is worth my effort."

Though Vanitas gritted his teeth and blinked in rapid succession, he nodded. "You may go," Xehanort replied, and Vanitas rose up and stalked towards the door. Then, an idea entered Xehanort's mind as he sat back down in his chair, prompting him to stop Vanitas from departing. "Sephiroth has three sons, am I correct?" he asked. Vanitas nodded and Xehanort smiled. "Wonderful," then, he glanced at Vanitas, who in bitter understanding left.

…..

As he shuffled his feet in front of Xigbar's house Axel inhaled a deep breathe. Then, dismissing any apprehensive notions within his mind, he trudged to the front door. Because Xigbar was more informative in person and because Axel was in dire need of a witness, he had braved the journey to the man's home with hope, and after he knocked on the door his heart fluttered when a commotion occurred behind its wooden surface. A few moments later Xigbar opened it, but the smile he had been sporting fell as he muttered, "What do you want?" glancing over Axel's shoulder and towards the street. Uncomfortable, Axel tried to laugh in reply, "Ziggy, I just wanted to ask you something," but Xigbar shook his head. "I won't be a witness to your case, not with who's involved."

"You mean Xehanort?" responded Axel in a low voice, shocked at Xigbar's abruptness, but then Susan called from inside the house asking who was there. Pursing his lips, Xigbar turned around and roared, "It's just a charity, darling; I'll take care of it," before redirecting his attention to the redhead before him.

"Give them a little something, would you honey?" called Susan further, and Xigbar closed his eyes in irritation but said okay. Then, he glanced straight into Axel's eyes, wetting his lips as he decided with care what he would say. "It's more than the pact, for me," began the man, trailing off with knitted brows. "It's a part of my life that I don't want to remember, I don't want to be involved in that."

In response Axel chuckled in anger and asked, "What the hell are you talking about?" while Xigbar rested his head on his arm. "My father was part of a lie," muttered the man. "I don't want to be a part of that same lie." With another chuckle of anger Axel stomped his foot. "But I'm innocent, Xigbar! Well, legally I am. Doesn't ignoring that make you part of the lie anyway?"

As Xigbar looked up at him in agitation Axel leaned in closer to him. "I don't know what happened with your dad," he whispered, "But you don't have to give away the old man. You just have to tell the jury that I was an okay guy," Axel pleaded. But Xigbar was adamant. "If I testified, I'd have to give away the old man. It's just… I'm sorry Axel. You're on your own," He finished, and Axel gritted his teeth and scowled, tearing himself away from the front door and lumbering down the steps towards the sidewalk, refusing to look at Xigbar once more. Cupping his hands over his mouth, Xigbar called out, "Remember, Axel, we were never buddies. I don't owe you anything," with narrowed eyes, and Axel nodded. "I know. I was just asking a favor," He added, but Xigbar shook his head, before going inside and closing the door.

There was one last member of the Organization that Axel could apply to for help, but he dreaded the encounter. Even so, he trudged to the train station, paid for his ticket, and stepped into the third arriving train car. Before snuggling against the glass window to his side, he sat down with a straight back and waited for it to start up. As always, the train lurched and then pulled forward, and as Axel glanced out the window to his side he remembered the pact. How long ago had it been now? It had been four years since the first member had been carted off to jail, so… five years ago, maybe six? That was when the pact had been formed. The exact memory of how it happened was etched into the back of Axel's mind. Everyone sat in a circle and Xemnas talked to them about someone that would be financing them, keeping them under wraps. Then Xehanort emerged. He was old and powerful. They all made the pact, saying that they would not snitch.

Axel wondered what would happen if he broke the pact. Would his family be targeted? Reno was already working for the Investigation Bureau, so he could take care. But if Axel went to jail, Lea would be stuck. He'd have to move to Midgar and live with Reno.

Midgar, a drab metropolis, damaged by a broken mako reactor and a meteor that had hit it two years ago. And Axel had heard about some sort of disease outbreak there called Geostigma. What if the stuff was still floating around? The residents had been given medicines and vaccines, but what about Lea? He'd have to get vaccinated, and Axel heard that it was painful, but even that did not guarantee his safety from its side effects. The city's crime was horrid. And while Reno left for work at seven in the morning and didn't come back until the wee hours of the morning, Lea would be his sole caretaker in a place he hardly knew. Suddenly, Axel felt sick. Then the train lurched forward and stopped. The monitor called "Destiny Islands" across the intercom system, and when Axel stepped out from the train car he breathed a sigh of relief as the evening air hit his face. The housing district was a ten-minute walk away, and Axel trudged towards it with his hands stuck into the base of his pockets. As he walked, he rehearsed his introduction. But when the house in question came into his immediate view, Axel clamped his mouth shut and jogged to its front step, ringing the doorbell and waiting. A few moments later, Marluxia opened it.

A glimmer of giddiness passed over the glare of his pupils, but their brilliant blue flash gave way to a set of dull, lubricated irises laid inside a pair of heavy lids. It was this expression of nonchalance that colored the man's visage when his mind was switched on; the eyelashes shielding the balls of his eyes like blinds, concealing the reflection of his thoughts. The discomfort that had plagued Axel upon his visit to Xigbar doubled, but he persisted. "Hey, Marly!" the man grinned, shuffling his feet. "Hello Axel," Marluxia returned. Then, after a moment's silence, he slipped his hands from his hips and extended his palm inside his house in indication. But ensuing short passage of time, punctuated by the cracking of Axel's knuckles within his pockets held the man rooted before the threshold of Marluxia's inhabitance. But, with gritty teeth, he barreled inside and raised his arms over his head, glancing around him with curiosity. The living room was rank with the smell of roses.

With raised eyebrows Marluxia observed Axel's behavior and locked the front door behind him, to which Axel apologized, "Just felt dizzy there," with a chuckle. Marluxia pointed to a vase of roses over the mantel, but Axel shook his head again. "It's not the smell," he mumbled, only a partial lie. Marluxia nodded and headed towards the kitchen. "Do you want some water?" he asked, but Axel shrugged, sitting down on Marluxia's couch. The surroundings were impeccably clean, sterile and controlled. The vase of roses perched on the mantelpiece held eleven flowers situated the same distance apart from each other. As he glanced at them Axel chuckled again, though he clung to his knees.

When Marluxia returned from the kitchen he sat across from Axel and handed him his glass of water. "How are you?" asked the pink haired man, sipping on his own drink. Axel shrugged, responding, "How have you been?" In return Marluxia grinned and played with the pink tips of his hair. Axel stared at him as he spoke.

"I received the most curious call from a girl's school in Pulse titled "L'Académie Pour Les Petite Débutantes, about Naminé, just five days ago," explained the pink haired man with a smile. "According to them, I called the day before in regards to Naminé, and they were returning the call," then Marluxia pointed to himself. "I did not call them, Axel. But they provided me with the most intriguing information." Then, he leaned forward. "Through polite conversation I discovered that Naminé is lacking a birth certificate. I saw promise in that statement, and now there is a full-scale investigation to discover her age. It was in the news," he added, hunting around the side of the couch and throwing a newspaper at Axel. Sure enough, on the front cover was a doe- eyed Naminé being carted into a police car. She was frazzled and disheveled, a trodden flower. Her article heading read _'Orphan Billionaire Discovered to be a Mere Child Along With Accomplice!' _after which began a detailed account of her predicament.

Snorting, Axel let the newspaper fall to the ground as he set his arms over his chest and shook his head. In amusement Marluxia watched him narrow his eyes and respond, "You and I both know that Naminé is the same age as Sora and his friends." But in reply Marluxia shrugged and sipped his water, examining Axel's worry with intrigue. "Why the sudden concern, Axel?" cooed the older man. "Are you worried you'll lose out on Naminé's money?"

Axel clenched his hands into fists as Marluxia laughed at him. "What is it you came for, Axel?" added the pink haired man, setting his water to his lips again. Though his nostrils flared, Axel sighed. "I need witnesses for my case," blurted out the red head. Pausing, Marluxia narrowed his eyes and set his water down on the living room coffee table, cocking his head to the side as he examined Axel's stony expression. Another passage of time stretched out before the two men, but as Marluxia cleared his throat his companion's insides fluttered. "You know Axel," murmured the older man, "I've been thinking lately. About you, and about your case. I was thinking- should I help him, or should I help Xemnas?" he whispered, holding both arms balanced on either side to represent a set of scales. A smile crossed his face as he reasoned, "Both of you were enemies, so I really shouldn't support either of you."

Though Axel frowned, Marluxia sighed, continuing, "I certainly have a wealth of information regarding your transactions with Xion. I was entrusted with them after being released from jail. Isn't that something? I was in jail for two years, but I was released early because I was intelligent. Xemnas wasn't as intelligent as he made himself out to be. When Xehanort found that his son was a failure he stopped assisting him," Marluxia explained. "The reason Xemnas' plan fell apart was because Xehanort relinquished his support."

Then Marluxia looked straight into Axel's eyes. "Because you do know if you had tried to meddle when _Xehanort _was still involved, you would have been shot dead. Or worse. Maybe all the while your invincibility complex has egged you on." Axel's glower stopped Marluxia's speech, making the older man raise his eyebrows and lean back against his chair. "If anyone had an invincibility complex it was you," hissed the red head. In return Marluxia chuckled and clapped his hands, before pointing to Axel with his left outstretched forefinger. "Did you think you were too sly to be caught, Axel?" he snickered. Axel resumed his silence and looked away. With a grin Marluxia shrugged, and reverted back to his previous subject. "Xehanort may believe the information concerning you, Xion, and Sora has been destroyed. But I've got the security tapes, Axel. And the way they play, you were talking with the police."

"And?" Axel snapped, leaning forward. Marluxia's smile grew. Then he stood and moved towards Axel, seating himself with deliberate pace. His left hand raised and rested with a gentle caress on Axel's upper thigh, but when axel squirmed, Marluxia's grip tightened. Then, raising his right arm and slipping it around Axel's shoulder, Marluxia leaned close to the red head's ear, stroking from the base of his neck to the underside of his jaw with the tips of his fingers. "I could help you," whispered the man, his lips meeting with Axel's ear. As Marluxia's lips trailed to the base of his neck, Axel leaned back and cocked his head to the side, staring at the ceiling in deliberation. "This is your weapon of choice, isn't it, Axel?" Marluxia cooed, as he set his hand between Axel's legs, rubbing from one thigh to the next. With gritted teeth Axel's pushed Marluxia back, but the man caught his hand and bent close to his face. "I could testify against you too, you know!" he hissed. The red head whipped around to stare at Marluxia, and his eyes widened. "Why?" he cried in bewilderment, but Marluxia grinned. "I had the most dealings with you in Castle Oblivion, I know you better than all of them! I could make or break your case!"

"You would break the pact?" Axel breathed. Marluxia shrugged. "I broke the pact when I attempted to take over the organization. So did you," he added with a grin, "but I was going to tell you to think of your brother."

Axel's fingers shook with livid energy, and without second thought the muscles from his right shoulder to the base of his abdomen flexed as their extremity sought Marluxia's nose. With a yelp, Marluxia ducked, but Axel's swing caught his cheek and he howled in pain. Enraged, Axel jumped from the couch and headed for the door, his exit thwarted when Marluxia grabbed him by the hair pulled him back, sending the man tumbling to the ground.

"You asshole!" roared Marluxia, his knuckles white as they pursued Axel's face in return. "If you've broken my jaw I'll kill you!"

"Sorry to mess up your mug, Marluxia," sneered Axel in response. He was swifter than Marluxia, able to dodge the man's strikes, and as the young man's head veered to the side of Marluxia's punch, the older man's hand hit the floor and incited another howl. But amidst wild laughter from Axel, Marluxia's breath caught in his throat when his opponent kneed him in the groin. Recovering as Axel hurried into the front hall, the pink-headed man jumped up again, a glower simmering over his flushed skin as the red head reached for the front doorknob. "It's either you or Lea!" Marluxia croaked, and Axel whipped around, ready to come at him again. "I wouldn't let Lea near you, you sick fuck!" hissed the young man as he advanced, raising his fists higher. But Marluxia held up his own in defense, the ends of his mouth twitching in wild excitement as he responded, "I didn't mean me, Axel, I meant Midgar. Do you know what the crime is like there? The trafficking?"

Axel's arms halted, and he lowered them and unclenched his fists in shock as Marluxia grinned. "He wouldn't stand a chance," the older man elaborated, rising up from his knees. "Lea's too cute. He's too much like you," he added, glancing at Axel from under his eyelashes. After a brief stare, Axel chuckled in disbelief and shook his head, making Marluxia grimace before he donned an uncaring expression and pulling himself onto the couch. "Being the sibling of an Investigation Bureau goon has got to bring some enemies to mind in search of _revenge_," the man snarled. To this, Axel was silent. He contemplated, before pursing his lips in indignation and trudging to the door. "But of course it was a useless proposition," Marluxia snapped after him, making Axel turn again in hesitation. Wetting his lips, the pink haired man shrugged and chuckled, his eyelids growing heavy as the lenses within clicked.

"Members of Organization Thirteen only think about number one, number one's well-being, number one's happiness... and if keeping someone else safe and sound makes us happy, then good for us," sneered the pink haired man. "But it doesn't make a difference. The real test I think, would be sacrificing something of one's self to make another's life easier. We're not so different, Axel," he added in a low voice, and Axel's shoulders tensed. A strange calmness washed over the room, a dead stillness that could be taken advantage of. Standing, Marluxia walked over to Axel and rested his hands on the man's unmoving shoulders, trailing his mouth down the nape of Axel's neck as he kissed it gently. Amidst the sensation Axel closed his eyes and tried to make a clear decision, but his thoughts were blurring.

"Perhaps you should grow up, Axel," Marluxia hissed. His hands reached down to Axel's wrists, and the red head allowed his companion to pull him to the couch and lay him down on its cover. Then, as Marluxia stepped above him and moved his hips between Axel's thighs, time seemed to tick again. He pushed Axel's shirt under his armpits and traced salivated circles around his hips, kissing his nipples and humming. Axel laid his head back and tried to steady his heart as Marluxia smiled down at him. "You're making that face again," Marluxia murmured. Axel looked up in agitation. "What face?" he snapped.

Marluxia grinned wider. "When you came trying to get information about Xion. You were always so nonchalant when we had sex. It was boring," Marluxia drawled, "then when I finally pushed your comfort zone, you backed out. I just want to see how far you can go this time," he sneered in Axel's ear, biting it hard. Shuffling in discomfort Axel tried to turn away, but Marluxia grabbed his face and thrust it back, causing an anxious giggle to ascend from the recesses of Axel's throat in strange, agitated spasm. The man's hands flew to Marluxia's chest and pushed against him, lengthening the distance between their bodies as he murmured, "Okay, Marluxia, calm down, I'll look," through a forced grin. But Marluxia tightened his grip on Axel's jaw and shook the man's head hard, so that the red head shut his eyes and sucked in a breath. His chest shook with spasms of laughter that he could not control, though his heart hammered through his ribs in fear. He was lightening, vulnerable though he was not meant to be that way. His thoughts fluttered inches above his head, a stream of consciousness whose tendril fingers crawled up in terrible anticipation.

As he stroked Axel's chin, Marluxia grinned at him. Then he gripped Axel's hands in one arm and pressed his weight against him, using his other hand to remove his belt. When Axel heard the chink of the buckle he began to struggle, flinging himself forward as he howled for help. Just when the older man succeeded in tying Axel's hands, the red head kicked him in the face and propelled himself from the couch. But before Axel could untie the belt from around his wrists, Marluxia grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back, slapping him and getting his jaw in his hands again. "You are infuriating!" the older man hissed through puffs of labored breath. Axel felt black dots creeping into the sides of his vision, but as he tried to blink away unconsciousness he looked for a door that his psyche could creep towards.

"I changed my mind," panted Axel, squirming and averting his gaze from Marluxia. "Too late," Marluxia replied.

...

With heightened care, Axel closed Marluxia's door behind him and slipped his hood over his eyes, massaging his throat as he stumbled down the road. He winced every time he moved his legs, and cursed under his breath, which grew heavy until he began to gulp. Black maggots crawled before his vision as he sucked in breath and his throat opened, and holding his stomach and bending forward, he staggered to a group of bushes at the edge of a neighbor's yard and wretched, coughing and wiping his mouth afterwards. Spitting in disgust, he glanced around the perimeter of the residence, chuckling as he spotted a hose at its right side. After unwinding it and coaxing water through it, he brought it to the bushes and sprayed them down.

The sun was low in the sky, offering Axel an approximation of the time. While rubbing the toes within his shoes, the man examined the scatterings of red blasted like a halo around the sinking body in absence of thought. Then, turning, he walked to the train station as fast as he could, panting with pain as he descended the stairs to the subway and as he boarded the train itself. Though exhausted he preferred to stand, and as the train moved he clung to the railing overhead, examining the exposed wrists extending from the black sleeves of his jacket. First he thought of going home and taking another shower. But as time passed, and he saw that the next stop was Twilight Town, his mind changed. Once the wheels beneath his feet were stilled, and once he was off the train, he walked with slow, careful steps. People stared at him as he passed, and in discomfort he bent his head, watching his feet as they moved forward. When he reached Roxas' house he ascended the front steps and rang the doorbell, but while he waited for an answer he checked his face in a puddle at the edge of the stairs. His eye and cheek were black. There were bruises on his neck that he pushed his hair over.

Finally Axel heard the sound of padding feet inside the door, and he sighed in relief when Roxas opened its frame. But shame quickly constricted his throat and bent his head, so that he could only mumble a hello. In Axel's new line of vision, Roxas legs went rigid and then shuffled. There was silence until the boy's right foot rose, and he stepped forward and touched the sides of Axel's face, turning it up and tilting it to the side. His eyes widened.

"Honey, is something wrong?" Roxas' mother called from the kitchen, but Roxas pursed his lips. "No, nothing's wrong," he called back. Then he slipped his hand around Axel's palm and brought the man through the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom. As they climbed, the red head glanced about with furrowed brows. "Where's Ventus?" he inquired. "Xion brought him to the clock tower," Roxas responded, "they've been at the beach the whole day."

"That's nice," Axel sighed in relief, and Roxas stared at him. Once the boy opened his door Axel trudged inside and stood in the room's center, lifting closed eyes and trying to relax the tension in his muscles. "Do you want to sit down?" Roxas asked, hopping on his bed. Snorting, Axel shook his head, and Roxas stared at him. Then, he slipped off of his bed and tiptoed towards his friend, lifting up the sleeves of the man's hoodie and gasping at the welts laid into his thin wrists. When he tried to lift the man's shirt, Axel pushed him away.

"Axel… what happened to you?" whispered Roxas, clinging to the front of Axel's jacket, but the red head shrugged. "It's nothing," he tried to say, but his voice cracked. "Just tell me who, Axel," Roxas muttered. "M-," started Axel, but stopped. Roxas searched his friend's downturned eyes for some glimmer of truth, and when he found it, his own widened, before their lids fluttered down and the brows above them knitted together.

"Um, Axel?" Roxas started, exhaling before he pursued, "Did he…"

"No," mumbled, squirming, but Roxas stood up and paced. "Why would you let him do that to you?" he sputtered, and Axel rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, he started talking about Lea, and," then he fell silent, refusing to speak further on the point. Roxas was livid. "I always knew he was a scumbag," he seethed, "but I didn't think,"

Before Roxas could continue, Axel interrupted with a snort, hissing, "and are we even on the same page here?" To which Roxas snapped back "yes". Then he softened and folded his arms in from of him, halting his pacing as he landed at the left side of the bed beside his anchor chain, which coiled around the foot of his desk. "I'm your best friend," murmured the boy. "I can read your mind." At first Axel smiled, but then the brief flutter of happiness that rested inside his stomach burnt out, and he prodded the area around his right side, wincing with pain. While he did so Roxas examined him. The silence stretched until Axel rubbed at his eyes and muttered, "Maybe I enjoyed it. I came," he added, his voice faltering against his will. Roxas stamped his foot on the ground.

"Coming doesn't mean shit!" barked Roxas. "Science proves it happens naturally, it doesn't mean you-!" he sputtered on the last part, his cheeks flushing pink in agitation. Then, he dashed to his closet for his phone and wallet and shoved them in his pockets. "What are you doing?" Axel asked as Roxas beckoned for him to come to the door. "We're going to the doctor," Roxas replied, but Axel shook his head. In response, Roxas stood seething in the doorway, his jaw open in disbelief. "Why not?" whined the boy. Then, he bit his lip and pointed his finger at Axel, accusing. "He raped you! What if you're bleeding? What if you get an infection? Don't be a cowa..." Too late Roxas realized what he was saying and sucked in a deep breath, moving back to his friend, whose head and back crumpled into his chest like folded paper.

"Roxas…?" Axel mumbled, but he couldn't say anything else. Roxas interwove Axel's trembling fingers in his own, clasping Axel's hand with surprising strength. They stood in silence as the sun sank in the sky.

"I've been hiding inside people," Axel mumbled. Roxas glanced at him, quiet, and squeezed his hand.

"You were crying a lot," he murmured matter-of-factly. Axel shrugged and sighed. "I'm a soft kid, Roxas. Reno's the hardest headed one of us all," he added with a twinge of jealousy. Roxas shook his head. "No way, Axel."

Axel chuckled, and then looked up at the sunset, at its slivered form sinking down beneath the ground on the horizon. "You know, I think that might be why Lea hates me so much!" he conjectured. "We're so alike. You should've seen the tears after he found out he'd be staying with me two years back. He's such an angry kid," he added. Then he pondered in silence, before sighing, "I thought that I'd truly _changed _after I'd met Saix." His lips pursed as he spoke and he rubbed his eyes again, pressing his fingers around their borders and then padding around his eyebrows and temple. "He was the only person I knew who didn't target my weak points. Well, until Organization Thirteen," Axel mumbled, smiling in memory. "When I teased him he'd just laugh. He knew I was soft," then his smile faded. "Maybe it was bad for me, you and I being friends. You were so small. I felt like a kid."

"You don't have to explain this." Murmured Roxas, but Axel shook his head.

"Roxas..." he started, and it was hard for him to continue. "I'm really sorry for that promise. You never expected me to find her did you?"

"No," Roxas replied. Axel nodded. "I should have said no. Maybe it is time for me to grow up."

"Oh, Axel," Roxas said with a sad smile, "Marluxia really did mess you up, huh?"

Axel snorted, shrugging. "If that's the first taste of what prison is going to be like, I'm out."

"We'll keep you out," Roxas murmured.

Then Axel shoved his hands into his pockets. "Oh, he said something about Naminé," he added, changing the subject with bright inflection. Roxas looked up in confusion. "Why would he?" A disgusted expression crept into his features but Axel shook his head. "It was before... you know," he explained, averting his gaze before continuing, "He's trying to adopt her again because she doesn't have a birth certificate."

Roxas' eyes widened. "He's the one that's spurred the investigation," he murmured, and Axel raised his brows in surprise. "You know about it?" he asked, and Roxas snorted. "Of course I know about it," mumbled the boy. "It's been on every Twilight Town news station for the past few days." Axel shrugged in response. "He showed me a newspaper article about it," added the man, "They're making it out like Naminé and Xion are two kid criminals," Roxas scowled and replied, "Xion has had to have a cop tail her for the past few days. They're afraid she and Naminé will try to run away."

Axel stared at him in shock. "Why didn't you tell me this was going on?" he murmured. Roxas shrugged, trying not to get upset. "I didn't want to think about it. If they take Xion away I don't know what I'll do," he gulped. Axel glowered, clenching his fists again. He'd been standing for an hour now and he was getting tired. "Well if they take Naminé I don't know what _I'll _do," Axel snapped. Roxas frowned in confusion. "She's paying for my lawyer, Roxas," Axel whispered and Roxas closed his eyes and rubbed them in despair. Then he opened them and nodded to himself, thinking. "She'll find a way out of this. She never gives up," he beamed.

"She was prone to at one point," Axel mumbled, and Roxas grimaced, tugging on Axel's hoodie sleeve.

"But she's not like that anymore. She's changed! You know it!"

"She's gotten lots of money- thanks to Ansem!" Axel reasoned in exasperation.

"I don't know about that," Roxas replied, and Axel frowned.

"You mean you don't think that the money was meant for Naminé?" He murmured. Roxas furrowed his brows, faltering. "Some part of her has to know it's true. Ansem was never kind to her. He tried to _dispose_ of her," he reasoned, hatred in his eyes. "His generosity was selfish, 'all for one and no one else'," Roxas muttered, and Axel chuckled. "Well, he changed too."

Roxas shrugged. Then, worry creeped into his features. "She does know he didn't love her, right?"

Axel scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Naminé responds to kindness, Roxas."

"You think that's what's keeping her going?" Roxas asked in sudden anxiety.

"It doesn't matter if it is or isn't," Axel replied, "Everyone likes to think that _someone _loves them, just for themselves, right?" Roxas nodded in response and gripped Axel's sleeve harder, holding onto it like a child to its brother, as he whispered, "Then don't tell her I said what I said- never give her the thought." Chuckling, Axel replied, "I won't tell her," and Roxas smiled. "Thanks Axel. You..." he started hesitantly, and then he leaned over and rested his temple on Axel's bent forehead, looking into Axel's eyes. "You're my best friend, Axel. I love you just for yourself," he said, "and I mean that." In response Axel mumbled, "thanks" and averted his eyes, shuffling to one side of the room and wiping them. His eyes fell on Roxas' fish lamp and he chuckled. It was spherical and a deep greenish blue, the color of the sea, with a light bulb inside. The orange fish orbiting its center had individual lights inside them, not as bright as the bulb inside the middle of the lamp, but soft and glowing regardless. They circled around and around the lamp as Axel's eyes trailed their movements. He shook his head. "I hated the sea until I met you," muttered the man. "We still haven't gone to the beach," Roxas tried but Axel shook his head and pointed to the lamp.

"I'll settle for your room," he murmured. "I wish I could stay in it forever," he added, glancing at Roxas with sadness. Roxas chuckled and ran his fingers through Axel's hair, smoothing it out. "You just prefer it because it's not your own."

"I never liked my bedroom." Axel retorted, and Roxas chuckled. "Do you like _anything _about your old house?"

Axel nodded at this, and thought for a moment. "My parents' bedroom," He said finally, and he heard Roxas chuckle again. "What's so funny?" Axel snapped, and Roxas shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Outside, the sun in Twilight Town had finally set, bathing the city in beautiful light farewell. "Amazing how much things change, huh?" Roxas whispered. "Right now Ventus and Xion are probably eating sea salt ice cream on the clock tower." Axel chuckled and sighed, massaging his fingers. Then he turned for the door, deciding to leave. Roxas looked after him with furrowed brows. "Are you going to report it?" he asked, and Axel paused, before he shook his head.

"Why not?" Roxas responded in exasperation, but Axel turned around and gave him a hard look. "Because I can't, Roxas," he snapped, "It's none of your business," and started to leave, but Roxas jumped forward and pulled him back. "You know you could stay longer," offered the boy, an imploring smile cocking his head. "You don't have to leave."

"I have to pick up Lea." Axel mumbled, and Roxas held his hand tighter, not letting go. "You don't have to pick him up just yet."

Axel sighed, and lost his temper. "I want to have some time to recuperate before I have to meet up with Ventus!" he snapped, before he could shut his mouth. Roxas looked at Axel with a peculiar, distant expression. Then, the skin around his eyes and mouth wrinkled as they contorted into a grimace. "You must really hate yourself to do all this stuff," Roxas muttered, and Axel's shoulders fell again, his resolution leaving him. "What of it?" he snapped. Roxas reached out and caught Axel's wrists, rubbing the parts not bruised and swollen with his fingertips. Then, his palms unfolded and he slid them up around Axel's back, holding him close as he rested his head against the man's chest. "I think I torture you," he mumbled. Axel nodded, muttering, "you don't know the half of it," and Roxas laughed. "I don't mean to."

Then he looked up at Axel and held him by the shoulders. "Axel, I hope someday you cherish the people who love you for you, not the person you pretend to be," whispered the boy, smiling and holding Axel's face. "I hope you find someone who can give you everything." Roxas' look was strange when he said this. Shadows from the setting sun played on the walls and his skin, making his eyes looked feline like Ventus'. Or there was something in his eyes akin to Ventus'. Axel glanced over at the fish lamp longer before he decided to leave. Then he sighed, "Well, I'd better get going," and stood. Roxas stared at him as he went to the door before clearing his throat. "Are you having sex with him?"

In shock, Axel stared back. "What the hell do you think I'm doing?" the man barked in defense, "Having tea with him?" and Roxas shook his head in reply, staring away. His shoulders heaved, and Axel stared at him as the boy turned back with red eyes. "Is it because he looks like me?" he breathed, inhaling and exhaling controlled breaths. Gaping, Axel hurried to Roxas and rubbed his shoulders. "Of course not!" breathed the red head, but Roxas shook his head in disbelief. "Then why?" he shot at Axel, who shut his mouth and went red in the cheeks. Roxas whimpered in disgust and Axel scowled, not wanting to tell the truth.

"_Why bother saying the truth?" _a voice in his head hissed. _"You've always disgusted him anyway." _Axel gnashed his teeth and broke away from Roxas, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading for the door. "It doesn't matter. I'll see you around. Take care," he muttered, and trudged into the hallway just as a commotion rose up from the living room. When Axel peered down the stairs towards the front hall he spied Ventus and Xion walking inside, and just as Ventus' gaze was directed to his, he froze. The blond boy blinked up at him in surprise, before narrowing his eyes and staring at Roxas, who'd come out after Axel.

"Did you come here to visit me?" cooed the boy, and Axel's hands balled into fists. Lost for words, Xion could only stare with an open mouth at the exchange, as Axel barreled down the stairs past the party and out onto the front porch. In a whisper Ventus asked Roxas what was wrong, and Roxas bent his head towards Ventus' ear, his head cocked to the side like a lover. Tearing his face away from the pair, Axel noted Roxas' mother peeking out the curtains of the front window that looked onto Roxas' street. The pair met eyes, and Roxas mother smiled and waved at him, before shutting the blinds and disappearing. With a sigh, Axel descended the front steps and headed down the street, noting a cop car pulling down the paved road in the opposite direction he walked. It must have been Xion's attendant.

All he could see as he moved towards the train station was Roxas' disgust. He tried to remember how Roxas had told him he loved him, but he shook his head. "Liar," he mumbled to himself, kicking up dust in front of him. "I would never- not to you-" he faltered, but fell silent as he reached the station. His body was exhausted yet he stood on the train, his mind buzzing. Once in Disney City, he stumbled off the platform and headed towards his house, dreading the hour when Ventus would visit him. He realized the boy wanted something from him that he could never give. But, when he reached his front door it wasn't Ventus that greeted him.

It was Naminé. Her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing an old hoodie and shorts.

"Hi, Axel," breathed the girl in a high-pitched voice, but then shut her mouth. Axel glanced about to see if a cop was accompanying her, but there were none around. But tired, he dismissed it and opened the door, Naminé slipping in behind him as he shut it. Immediately the girl wrapped her arms around him and began kissing his face and neck, gripping his shoulders with curled fingers that pressed into the bruises on his skin.

Sucking in a deep breath, Axel's stomach lurched and he shoved Naminé away from him, letting the girl tumble to the ground. As her shins hit the floor she cried out in pain, but Axel turned and hurried into the kitchen to put on hot water, trying to ignore her. When she scrambled to her knees and peeked inside the kitchen arch, watching Axel with big blue eyes as he worked. He could feel the presence of her glance on his back, and in irritation he snapped, "what do you want?" causing Naminé to cower against the arch wall, clinging to its frame with knuckle white hands. Then she hiccupped, and began to sob. "Oh, Axel, I'm so sorry," she gulped.

"What's the matter, Naminé?" Axel muttered with shaking hands, not looking at her. "What's wrong?"

Though Naminé hesitated; it was only a split moment before words began to stream from her lips as fast as her tears did from her eyes. "I can't pay for your lawyer anymore. My housing situation is under fire. I can't use my money- they might give it to my new 'guardian'." She hissed. Then, she backed off and tried to calm down, mumbling incoherent syllables to herself as her breaths gave way to throaty whines.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I can't control myself. I just, I wanted to help you so much… so, if you want…" she said finally, glancing up at him. Axel stood with his hands clung to the side of the kitchen counter, keeping a trained glance away from Naminé's form, which slipped towards him with hesitance, sliding her cold hands underneath the back of his shirt.

Axel looked at the ceiling, fuming with bottled hysteria. The lawyer who just might win him the case was gone. All the money was gone. He'd have to get a state lawyer. They'd give him a newbie because of the 'crime' he'd been convicted of. Everything began to crumble in his head.

It would be so easy for him, right now, to take advantage of Naminé. As he turned and looked down at her face, stained with tears, he felt something like hissing steam building pressure in his head. He stroked Naminé's hair and thought of how much she liked him and trusted him. But Marluxia crawled over his body and through his head as he held her, and Axel turned away and stalked towards the back door, shivering.

"Get out," he mumbled, keeping his eyes trained away from Naminé. She tiptoed back towards him and tried to stroke his hair, but Axel pushed her hand away and glanced towards the kettle, filled with hot water. In a fit of impulse he closed his fingers around its handle and advanced towards the girl, who yelped and cowered back against the wall, holding her hands out in front of her in defense. "Leave me the fuck alone!" screamed Axel, raising the kettle over his head. But just as the shadow of the metal fell over Naminé's face, she ducked and flew to the door like a little hare, and before Axel could reach her again she'd bounded off the front porch and down the sidewalk towards the train station. Her white frame moved like a bolt of lightning, there and then gone.

A gurgle shook the inner lining of Axel's abdomen, and he broke his gaze away from the street and closed the door. Then, clutching his stomach he sank to the floor and groaned, closing his eyes as he sucked in gulps of breath. Patting the kettle in the rhythm of his heartbeat, Axel hummed a tune, thrumming slower and slower against the kettle's iron surface as his pulse descended into quiet thuds, intermitted by half second silence. As he opened his eyes Axel glanced around his small house, dark now. The street lamps flickered outside and he rubbed his eyes, letting his fingertips bathe in their soft glow. Just as his breathing resumed a normal pace, the phone rang, making his heart jump and his breath catch in his throat. Before he answered the phone he knew who it was.

"I won't be coming over tonight," drawled Ventus, and Axel exhaled an inaudible sigh of relief. "I'll come tomorrow, though. Maybe we can go somewhere," he added with a reconciliatory tone, and hung up. Axel shrugged and clicked the phone back onto the receiver, before making his way to the bathroom.

He ran the hot water and plugged the bath drain before taking his clothes off and setting a towel on the ground. Then, he stepped inside the porcelain bowl and lowered himself into the water, hissing in pain until he was finally seated. As he leaned against the back wall of the tub he took a deep breath and relaxed, while his body floated to the top of the water.

For a half an hour Axel sat contemplating what he would do to heal while managing both Ventus and Marluxia, and then how he would get a new lawyer. When the thirty minutes was up he hoisted himself out of the bath, let the water drain, and dried off, slipping on some of his old flannel pajamas and trailing towards his parent's bedroom. He huddled under the covers on his mother's side of the bed and lied on his side, peering at the rocking chair across from the room. As nightmares began to creep into Axel's mind, images of Roxas' fish lamp circling around carouseled through his head, lulling him to sleep.

...

Kairi paced the room in anger, glaring at Demyx every so often, who sat in a chair, exhausted.

"So, you're just not going to help him at all?" she snarled, and Demyx shook his head in affirmation.

"Why the hell won't you help him? He was your friend!" Kairi burst out, but Demyx jumped up and scowled, trying hard not to explode.

"He was never my friend, Kairi! He was the guy who got me sent to jail, don't you remember that?"

"Maybe if that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have gone for the record deal, don't you remember that?" spat Kairi in reply, making Demyx avert his gaze. "Look," He started, but Kairi cut him off.

"I won't 'look' anymore;" barked the girl, "I don't care! You are refusing to help a friend that needs you! You know he has a little brother?" she snapped. "The kid will have to move to Midgar because of you!"

"Oh, it's _my _fault he's getting convicted now?" Demyx shouted. "I wasn't even _there_!It serves him right for meddling! You know, Kairi, he wasn't very nice when he was in Organization 13!" Demyx barked. "He messed with people's feelings and he enjoyed doing it! He was going out with Selphie, right? How old is she, huh? How young was Sora when he played him?" Kairi shook her head in bottled rage.

"I made a pact when I went into that organization that I wouldn't rat out a benefactor!" Demyx whined, "Kairi, Axel's not gonna be saved without a sacrifice. And I'm not gonna be the guinea pig."

"So you are withholding information on a _criminal?" _Kairi intoned, to which Demyx stared.

"Just leave me alone," He muttered in final desperation, but Kairi charged straight up to him, jabbing him in the chest with her forefinger. "I won't stop! He is our friend!"

"He's your friend! He was never my friend! I hate that fuck!" Demyx roared, slamming his fist into the side of the couch. Then he shook his head and snapped, "Fuck this, I'm leaving," as he headed for the doorway. When Kairi tried to stop him he pushed past her and made her fall against the wall.

Don't you leave on me!" she screamed, running after him, but Demyx ignored her and slammed the front door behind him, stomping down the steps towards his car. His engine revved up as he pulled out of the driveway, and Kairi stood stock straight as the sound of peeling rubber rang through her ears. Then there was silence. For a moment, her body held its straight frame and high chin, before it shook and her head crumbled to her chest, sobbing with abandon.


	10. Revelations

Rays of sunlight fell against the toes of Naminé's feet, casting them a golden hue, different from the shade of her pale insteps and ankles. She was seated with her knees curled to her chin on Cid's old armchair in the living room, staring out the window. It was now a week since she had been arrested under suspicion of operating a business and caring for a minor without a birth certificate. Tomorrow was the date of the trial that would decide if she was fit to look after herself. If she were deemed unfit to support herself, she would be carted off to live with Marluxia. If she were deemed fit to support herself, which she knew to be true, she would be safe. But Marluxia kept creeping into her mind.

The floorboards cracked and Naminé turned away from the window, watching as Xion paced back and forth rubbing the side of her head in frustration. As the dark haired girl passed from one side of the room to the other, her nostrils flared and contracted faster, until she gnashed her teeth in anger, bursting out, "what is it that they have on us anyway?" When she did not receive an immediate answer, she barked, "Our age is a pretty sorry case! That's all they're making it out to be!"

"If we're not 'sixteen' we aren't fit to look after ourselves," Naminé explained in return, adding, "And, if both of us are underage, and I'm acting as your guardian, that's a double offense. They wouldn't let us go until they thought we were eighteen," as Naminé said this, Xion looked at her in befuddlement.

"Why are you so 'chill' about all this? Do you know what type of person Marluxia is?" asked the girl, advancing towards Naminé and gripping the back of the armchair she was curled into. "He's a slime ball!" she hissed. "He'll probably take all the money you earned and use it for himself! He'll leave you in the streets! I mean, I can cope, but can you?"

"He wants more than that," Naminé replied, "And yes. I could cope, if he just took the money."

"How? Do you remember living by yourself?" Xion snapped, but Naminé did not respond, so Xion leaned close to her again, this time with softening gaze. "If you know something, tell me!" said the girl with gentle inflection, grinning as she added, "It could help us!" When she asked if Naminé remembered who her parents were, Naminé winced, hissing, "I don't want to talk about it," before she curled back into her chair, as a rabbit into its hole. Xion blinked down at her, stupefied. But when she recollected herself, a pitying expression took hold of her.

"Naminé, what happened to you?" asked Xion. After a moment's frown, Naminé's eyebrows rose, and she turned to Xion with open mouth just as a rattling resounded from the front room, and Cid burst into the front hallway with the groceries.

"Hey, girls! How have things been?" he hollered, trudging into the kitchen and batting away Xion when she tried to help him carry the bags. Naminé tried to appear cheerful, but her fingers clung to the arms of the window chair. "I'm worried, but other than that I'm okay!" chirped the girl. Cid nodded and threw a newspaper in front of her, and after a slight fumbling Naminé grabbed it up and skimmed over its contents with furrowed brows. What she read dropped her jaw and raised her face to meet with Xion's, which inquired with her eyes. "Xehanort is interested in the case," Naminé breathed in confusion and Xion dashed to her side, reading over her shoulder.

"There's also an article in there about Ansem!" Cid interjected, and Naminé's head snapped up. "What?"

"They said that right before he died there was proof of him being close to patenting a new technology sort of like the pro and anti-erode that you made yourself," Cid shouted amidst converting the yogurt to the fridge. Then he chortled and shook his head. "I still don't know how on earth you created that stuff! You're a smart cookie!"

"I didn't make it, Ansem left the invention for me," replied Naminé. "He kept it a secret because he knew that someday I would need it. He probably left something else for me, too, now," She finished with flashing eyes, but Cid shrugged. "Somehow I can't see Ansem staring past his own nose, sighed the old man. "He was self-centered. Brilliant, but self-centered. I mean can you blame the guy? He was a genius, _and _he was good looking!" He guffawed, but Naminé did not smile. After Cid buried himself deep into the fridge rearranging the food, Xion escaped to the upstairs hallway and Naminé was free. The living room stretched out before her like the ocean floor, which little pockets of sunshine fell against, bathing its dust particle plankton gold and bright. A stillness which she imagined ruled the abyss of the sea settled over Naminé's arms and past her feet, until time seemed to freeze and float.

Before she knew exactly what she was doing, she was running- out of the house, down the road, and to the train station. She didn't even know where she was going until the train she had gotten on pulled into Twilight Town, and her heart thumped loud as she whizzed forward through the streets to the outskirts of the city. Charging through the line of trees beyond the last buildings, she headed towards the mansion, peering behind her shoulder every once in a while as though expecting a cop to run after her. But no human was around. Every car surrounding the Mansion had disappeared and the area was roped off, so Naminé crawled beneath the reels of plastic and opened the gates surrounding the estate. Once inside, she ran towards the door, where she extracted the ancient set of mansion keys from her pocket and turned them in the lock with shaking hands. Then the soft oak before her pushed forward and a rectangular shaped ray of light extended into the dark foyer, disrupted only by Naminé's black silhouette. Her shadow stepped forward and lengthened as she did, but as the front door slid shut behind her, the glowing light at her back faded until the room in front of her was again cast in shadow. Clumps of long legged spiders had already staked out the wall's vertices for their webs. Naminé chuckled. If Marluxia _did _get Naminé, he said he would tear the Mansion down.

With labor Naminé slid to the floor, trying to force out tears that would not come. She closed her eyes until they hurt, and felt her face go red, but in her gut and throat she felt nothing. Sighing, the girl was forced to give up and look around for some other direction of thought. Then she remembered the floorboards. She bashed her foot through them with all her might and let out a yelp of surprise as she fell through into Ansem's underground lair, landing on the outer part of her thigh. In pain she cried out and rubbed the bone on the side of her shin. The smell of rotting papers and substances almost overpowered her, but she hoisted herself up and stumbled forward, before halting. Then, she got to work ripping files out of the folders in frenzy, scanning anything and everything in the room. When she reached the third shelf down of a cabinet marked "patents", a groan escaped her mouth, and she pursed it as she reached inside the cabinet drawer and pulled out a folder she'd hoped she would not find. Patent numbers for pro and anti- erode, dated two weeks before Ansem's death.

She tried to hold back tears as she read through numerous transactions on the pro and anti-erode. How a year before he died Ansem had been commissioned to make the substances for a building company that cheated him on his wages- the company Sephiroth had inherited shortly after. In revenge for ill treatment, Ansem must have used pro erode on the company's pipes instead of anti-erode. It was _his _fault that the company's pipes were faulty- he'd made them that way.

As Naminé sifted further through the cabinet drawer, distributing the pro and anti-erode folder back to its original place and pulling out another folder in return, she skimmed down what appeared to be an invitation. It was three years old, and detailed a grand gala for the introduction of new inventions. The inventions Ansem was going to debut were pro and anti-erode, but the other was titled "Kingdom Hearts," which made Naminé chuckle in spite of herself. Then, she remembered something.

It was a tiny, insignificant memory. One of her when she was thirteen years old, newly a teenager. That year, the Orphanage That Never Was wasn't able to afford birthday cakes, or even little cupcakes, so they sang to her instead. Though the files on her date of birth, place of birth, and her parents, had been lost, she felt more thirteen than all the girls her age, who huddled around her with huge grins, singing her name softly.

Then Naminé's mind flashed to much later that year, after Organization Thirteen had adopted her. Until then they had been 'studying' her, observing her interactions with the people and environment surrounding her. That day Zexion and Marluxia had come to speak with her. She had only been in Castle Oblivion a week.

"Do you think that stuff will work?" Marluxia had whispered, with narrowed unbelieving eyes. But in response Zexion cooed, "I have a strong feeling that it will."

"It sounds stupid to me," Marluxia had snapped in response, causing Zexion's nostrils to flare in anger.

"Shut up," he'd hissed. "That was my brother's life's work."

"His short life's work," Marluxia had snickered.

"Remember when Sora was shot with neotenebrin?" whispered Zexion, his eyes glowing with new excitement. Marluxia had snorted, chuckling, "I might remember if I know what neotenebrin is." In response Zexion's eyes fell back to the dull blue that washed over them when they were displeased, and he replied, "Neotenebrin is heartless venom." But the excitement that had fringed his features moments before returned again as he explained, "Just as Sora convulsed in the throes of his heartless transformation, Kairi injected a part of herself into him, a vital light that returned Sora to normal." Then as he grinned, his hands moved in circles and dashes before him, indicating as he spoke. "The remains of neotenebrin in Sora's body was left with both his and Kairi's DNA," whispered Zexion, "If Naminé possessed a part of Sora and the girl he loved the most, she could control him!"

To this Marluxia had snorted, not bothering to conceal his disdain, prompting Zexion to continue, "You already see that the girl has a profound effect on people," and with a sly glance add, "She certainly caught your eye." In reply Marluxia smiled and said, "let's see what happens when we kidnap Sora."

Then, Zexion had turned and walked to Naminé with briefcase in hand, setting it on the white surface of Naminé's table as he reached her side. It clicked open, and as Naminé observed the syringe lying at its center, she'd sucked in a deep breath and reeled back in her chair. Marluxia chuckled in delight as Naminé cowered back, and Zexion glanced at him. "Do you want to inject it?" the younger man murmured.

Marluxia shrugged, but then responded, "Why not?" with glee as he watched Zexion prepare the needle. Beside the device's sharp tooth was a vial of dark gray, viscous liquid, to which Zexion attached the syringe, clicking its large needle down so that the device was ready. Then he handed it to Marluxia, who put on a pair of gloves before he set it in his hands. "Will she go crazy from the poison in this stuff?" Marluxia questioned, but Zexion shrugged.

"We've extracted as much heartless venom as we can," he murmured. "But if it doesn't work, we can always dispose of her."

At this Marluxia's head snapped up painted with a grimace. "I'd rather that not happen," muttered the pink haired man, and Zexion smiled. Then Marluxia moved to Naminé's side, grabbed her arm, and turned the main vein of her wrist face up. "Your skin is so pale I can see the veins perfectly," He murmured, and as the needle and gray liquid pressed into Naminé's arm, she blacked out.

When she had woken up again, she promised herself that soon she would get away from her new 'family'. But over a year later, Naminé was in another white room, this time with a new man studying her, observing her eyes and the way she registered her surroundings.

"A spawn of my work rests within you," He had hissed, and Naminé had been taken aback. Then, the scientist had grabbed her arm with one savage yank, pulling it up and pointing to the black-rimmed scar from Marluxia's needle, a scar that had never disappeared.

Even now, after the remembrance of these interactions had drifted from Naminé's mind, and as Naminé sat in Ansem's underground lair alone, the dark spot still radiated from her skin. In the darkness of the cellar Naminé realized what she had meant to Ansem.

Whatever Marluxia and Zexion had injected into her, whatever connected her to Sora- _that _was what had been useful to Ansem. Alone, Naminé was just a little girl. But with Sora and Kairi's DNA she was special.

Naminé had never been a person to Ansem, not even at the end, when he regretted how he treated Roxas. He never apologized to Naminé for the long days and nights she'd spent locked in her white room or in a closet, which she had been resigned to when she 'misbehaved'.

Ansem wanted to patent pro and anti-erode for himself, for his own benefit and for his own recognition. And the new device, the thing he labeled "Kingdom Hearts"; he was going to use that for his own good, too. None of it had been for Naminé. As she sat on the concrete floor with broken pieces of floor wood scattered about her folded knees, an intense feeling of loneliness washed over her. The feeling of inhabiting the outer border of a bubble, and looking in at the distorted view of others like herself, but not like herself. As Naminé listened to the silence that permeated the dark room that lay underground, independent of the normal track of time, she began to calm.

It hurt her very much that no one had loved her. What of her qualities were lovable, she wondered. After dismissing these thoughts Naminé searched around every nook, cranny, and old cabinet, searching for any files on 'Kingdom Hearts'. Then, she found an old newspaper clipping.

"_Ansem's new invention- said to be a key to the heart of the world!" _with a caption that read: _"Is it a new version of Planet's mako reactors? Is the heart of our world similar to the Planet's Life stream? Secrets revealed through an interview with the inventor himself!" _

The article held no further important information, so Naminé threw the bundle to the side and hunted further about the room, locating a box of correspondence letters between Ansem and his various contemporaries. The man made numerous copies of everything, circling words and letters and scribbling notes on the sides of the pages in a near obsessive manner. A few of the letters held in his memory box were addressed from him to the president of the building company he had worked for before his death. Another group was correspondences with King Mickey regarding his inventions. It turned out pro and anti-erode had never been patented at all. Instead, they had been pending. But the most curious bundle of letters was between Ansem and Yen Sid, and Naminé read them all with fervency.

"_I have found the key to the trouble that has plagued us during these last decades. Through my studies I have located a way to puncture the heart of our region and use it to our advantage. We will crush those who trod over us before, and there will be no more secrets..."_

"_Ansem, I am wary of this new invention… something so powerful should not be exposed to a world so naive… as to your notion that we've kept secrets from our people too long, how could we have told them the truth without inciting catastrophe? The thirst for revenge is self destructive, Ansem... who have you shown the device to?" _

"_I have shown no one...yet it pains me to think that even you are blinded by fear of the enemy... I must incite justice..."_

"_If it were my decision, Ansem, I would have the device destroyed. It is too powerful to slip into the wrong hands…" _

The majority of the letters dated six months before the gala, when Ansem was still posing as DiZ. But the last three of the pile were written mere weeks before the event.

"_I am in trouble Master Sid. I was wrong to use my invention for my selfish revenge, and I apologize for involving you... your student's strong heart guided me to peace, and I am privileged in knowing him... I am fearful of this gala, but my attendance is necessary... after so many years of selfishness, and cowardice, I must represent my people. I will debut Kingdom Hearts." _

"_Ansem, I am glad for you. But I urge you not to attend the gala. Your opponents lie just inside the stage wings, and with this debut will crawl many who would rather keep your invention quiet. Wait for a council with King Mickey and I." _

"_I will be going to the gala… if any harm comes to me, I want my reports and research entrusted to your library. I am sure you will keep them safe…" _

After reading them once more Naminé set the letters down and pondered Kingdom Hearts. What exactly that was, Naminé was not sure, but she felt as though it were in her memory, which lay like a shrouded corridor extending through the back of her mind.

Wincing at the pain of the splinters in her hands, Naminé hoisted herself through the floorboards and hunted around the foyer for a cart. In the backyard lay an old wheelbarrow, and Naminé pushed it through the mansion until it was positioned parallel to the hole in the foyer floor. Then, she hopped back into the cellar and hoisted files up from the floor into the cart. By the time she was finished the cart was overflowing with various paper and glass odds and ends, and the floorboards creaked with ferocity as she trod towards the bathroom to treat her hands. Naminé flew about with jagged movements, half expecting Marluxia to hop out from behind a chair, or slither out from the shadows to thwart her. But there were only spiders.

After her hands were taken care of Naminé pushed the wheelbarrow out of the mansion and under the police rope surrounding its borders, up to Yen Sid's tower. It took her twenty minutes to get there, and by the time she knocked on the front door she was sweating like a pig. To her surprise Riku answered.

"Hey, Naminé!" He beamed, and Naminé smiled back with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing here, Riku?" she asked, and Riku grinned. "I'm training for the Mark of Mastery Exam," chuckled the boy with pride. "He says that he may be able to get me into the military academy in Palumpolum by next year."

"I need to talk to Yen Sid," Naminé blurted out just as Riku noticed the wheelbarrow behind her. With furrowed brows he asked if it was hers and Naminé nodded. "I need to give it to Yen Sid," She chirped.

"Just leave the wheelbarrow at the bottom of the stairs." Riku responded, but Naminé shook her head and insisted upon bringing them directly to Yen Sid, nightmares of the files being whisked away or disappearing into thin air playing in her mind. After a brief stare down Riku sighed and called for Flora, who poked her head out from the top of the stairs and asked what the matter was.

"She wants to give this stuff to Yen Sid, but she can't get it up the stairs," Riku called up to her, and Flora chuckled as she filed towards them and caught sight of the wheelbarrow.

"Well, there's an elevator right over here," She cooed to Naminé, patting her shoulder, and Riku glanced up to the sky in agitation as the older woman moved towards a metal door that lay behind the stairs. As Riku pushed the wheelbarrow inside the tower Flora pressed the button to open the elevator door, and everyone filed inside. But after the door closed again, the gears inside the elevator started up and the sound of thrashing metal descended over the party's ears. Flora had to scream to talk amidst the sound of the vehicle's machinations. When the thrashing ended, the elevator beeped, and opened directly into Yen Sid's study. Sora lay on the ground engrossed in a book, ignoring the party as they wheeled Naminé's barrow inside, but Yen Sid glanced up just as Naminé stopped before his desk.

"I see that you have something for me?" he announced, and Naminé nodded, patting the papers on the peak of the file pile. "This is Ansem's stuff. I was wondering if you could look after it," She explained, but Yen Sid narrowed his eyes before nodding. Then he turned to his students. "Sora, Riku, would you meet me in the loft?"

Riku nodded with hesitation, but Sora jumped up when he heard his name called. The two filed out of the room, and Flora disappeared downstairs to make tea until the only people left in Yen Sid's study were himself and Naminé. Naminé shuffled her feet, but when Yen Sid pointed to a chair for her to sit down in, she did so. As she looked on, Yen Sid perused the wheelbarrow of files before returning to his desk seat.

"Did you read the letters?" he asked as he folded his hands before his chest, and Naminé nodded. "Then you are probably wondering what Kingdom Hearts is," murmured the old man, and Naminé nodded again, not expecting him to answer. Instead he looked at her and folded his hands behind his back, standing and pacing back and forth.

"Naminé, I do not know you very well, or of the extent to which you were connected to Ansem. But, I have a powerful feeling that you know a great deal more than you think you do, or that anyone else thinks you do. You just need to remember."

Naminé winced at those words, but Yen Sid continued, "Do you know what exactly happened when Sora was targeted four years ago?"

"He was targeted because he was the Investigator's son," replied Naminé.

In return Yen Sid chuckled and peered at her again. "Tell me everything you know."

Clearing her throat, Naminé looked through her thoughts, trying to remember everything she knew about Sora.

"After Sora's father became the Director of the Investigation Bureau," she began, "he stumbled upon a drug that was being manipulated by a massive criminal organization lead by Maleficent, the mayor of Hollow Bastion at the time. Once she found out the Director had a son, she used Kairi as bait to trap Sora, so that his father would be under their control," Naminé murmured in explanation as Yen Sid listened with closed eyes. "When Sora found Kairi in a coma at Hollow Bastion, Maleficent told him that if he injected himself with heartless poison, they would let Kairi go. I think they were going to send Sora back to his dad as a warning not to mess with them."

"The 'poison' of which you are speaking," Yen Sid interjected in a low rumble, "is called neotenebrin." After he'd said this, the old master sat back and waited for several moments, letting the definition sink into Naminé's head. In reply her eyebrows furrowed, and she asked, "What does neotenebrin mean?"

"Neotenebrin," Yen Sid responded, "commonly known as heartless venom, means "new darkness". It is a byproduct of experimentation on a substance naturally occurring in most human beings."

"Is that substance darkness?" Naminé murmured, and Yen Sid nodded, returning to his desk chair and seating himself comfortably. "When science took an interest in the soul of a human being, it came up with two opposite objectives that drove the human condition. One is named Luciden, for light, and the other is called Tenenbrin, for darkness. They're fancy scientific terms," added the old man with a scoff, waving his hand in the air in dismissiveness. "Luciden and Tenebrin are associated with the highest level emotions of the human psych, because they drive our actions and the way we feel. Until you came along, only seven humans existed with pure Luciden inside of them," added Yen Sid, making Naminé glance up in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked after a moments pause, "I'm not a princess of heart."

In reply Yen Sid stared at Naminé for several seconds before he murmured, "Ansem spoke of you," with a nod of his head. "He told me how much you reminded him of Kairi. But there's something different about you Naminé, about your light," he added. "The Luciden within Kairi is strong and reactive. Yours is not. The reason your light became 'unstable', as Ansem remarked, was because you had a piece of two other people within you."

"Kairi and Sora?" Naminé responded, to which Yen Sid nodded, adding, "that is why you had such an effect on them."

"That's what Ansem thought was useful about me," Naminé replied.

For a moment Yen Sid stared at her. But then he stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes. "Do you remember what happened to Kairi when the Light in her heart was tampered with?" Yen Sid asked, but Naminé shrugged, trying, "She went into a coma."

With a nod Yen Sid replied, "Neotenebrin is a mutation. It attacks the deep limbic system of the brain and represses emotions. If left untreated, its victim will never feel," rumbled the old man, flashes of sadness crossing the wrinkles of his face. "Instead, their empathy is erased. They become aggressive and unconscious of their actions. And in addition, Naminé, it was Riku, not Maleficent, who told Sora to inject himself with the poison in order to save Kairi," murmured Yen Sid, making Naminé gape. "When Kairi awakened, she found Sora at her side, transforming into a monster. Yet she saved him."

"By injecting her light inside him?" guessed Naminé, and Yen Sid beamed in affirmation. "The Luciden within Kairi attacked the neotenebrin within Sora and destroyed it. Forever more, the light from Kairi within Sora would exist in separation from his own light. But-" continued the old master, holding up his index finger, "When the different forms of Luciden from Sora and Kairi entered _your _body_, _they combined with the light inside you, rather than staying separate, as Kairi's light did when it lay within Sora."

"It's intriguing enough to be called magic," Yen Sid chuckled in addition. "The soul has fueled philosophical and scientific arguments for centuries. It is fitting that, well..." Yen Sid considered the information he was about to slip, and decided against saying it, moving on, "And whereas some may call you _fragile _and _weak, _others might call you a hero."

"I'm just a coward," Naminé mumbled in reply, but Yen Sid shook his head and pointed to the center of Naminé's face, right at the tip of her nose.

"Luciden and Tenebrin, Light and Dark, are ancient. They perpetuate the cycle of life. To be a vital part of that cycle is an honor," the old man explained, but though Naminé furrowed her brows in confusion, Yen Sid's eyes sparkled.

"Imagine if the Luciden within Kairi made contact with an organism of complete darkness, a being beyond hope of any sort of life. The ancient, pure forms of light and dark would strive for dominance, destroying the organism they inhabited. But while your light is strong, it is soft," murmured Yen Sid. "Instead of destroying an organism filled only with darkness, your light would _coexist _with it, save it! The form of Luciden within you represents an evolution!" the master continued, waggling his finger at Naminé with increasing forcefulness. "The eternal reign of the princesses of heart ends with your light, Luciden evolved! You represent the future! Why, the way you were able to survive amongst so many bad intentioned people is proof of your power!" boomed Yen Sid, as Naminé blinked and tried to nod. She wondered if any of the people who interacted with Yen Sid on a daily basis left with a complete understanding of his rants.

"Ansem _must _have told you about the Hollow Bastion Massacre! And before that! The Masked Boy?" Yen Sid inquired, but Naminé shook her head. With a scowl Yen Sid waved off her response and dived in again, muttering, "It all started with _him- _a being made completely of darkness, a poisoned being that infected itself and everything around it. Legend had it that a human of pure darkness and a human of pure light, when brought together, would provide the means to control the _heart _of the world. Mere legend? I think not!" Yen Sid rubbed his palms as he continued to explain with increased intensity, but on occasion his hands would fly away from each other in excited gesticulation. "Yet we cannot prove that Xehanort himself possessed the intention of turning Tenebrin into a weapon because there is something protecting him from detection! Someone is covering his tracks!"

With wide eyes Naminé realized that the Xehanort Yen Sid spoke of was the Xehanort she had read of in the newspaper that morning, the one who wanted to adopt her. As she remembered the article her fingertips ran cold, and when she stared into Yen Sid's eyes she asked, "you think that everything that has happened is the fault of the man who accused Axel?" to which Yen Sid chortled in reply.

"Well, of course!" he murmured. "Who else would want to convict the boy? If we were able to pull out the _root _of the problem, all of the weeds it has spawned would rot! All the problems it has caused would be solved!" He boomed, causing Naminé to cower back in her seat. Through his spirited sermon Yen Sid had jumped from his own seat and stood banging the top of his oak desk, shaking his fists through the air on occasion. But now, in exhaustion, he took a seat again, sighing in between groans as he rubbed his forehead. "If only we had paper proof of the true culprit, or witnesses! But as I said before… the _real _evil has covered its tracks…" For a few moments he sat with a curl back, his lopsided frame slumped over the right side of his seat as he rubbed his eyelids again. Then, his hands fell to his side as his eyes glanced at Naminé closely.

"Naminé," he rumbled, and the girl leaned forward unconsciously, her eyes widening as the man addressed her. "Perhaps now is the time to look into your past," continued the old master. "You must see what lies within its frame to understand what is happening now. Perhaps you know something important," He murmured. Naminé nodded. She didn't like remembering her life, but she felt as if it were her duty now.

"I'll try, sir," She muttered finally, glancing at her white knuckled hands, which gripped the sides of her seat. As she peeled them away from the chair frame she stood and folded them in front of her, bowing before Yen Sid. The old man did not stop her when she left, instead standing and moving to the star shaped window at the back of his room, glancing out of it and over Twilight Town with pursed lips.

As Naminé descended the stairs with soft tread, her head filled up with questions, though she had no one to ask them to. She felt as though Yen Sid had given her all the information he could, and she didn't want to pry at him any more. But so much of what he said she still could not understand. And now, her time was running out again, and she was all alone. So, Naminé let her thoughts go as she opened the tower's front doors, feeling the soft glow of evening sun fall over her face again. As she descended the front steps and moved back towards the city, she heard Flora close the tower door behind her, telling her a soft goodbye.

...

Vanitas stared at the blood in the sink before him, clinging to its sides with shaking palms. The side effects of his trying to wean himself off his medications were causing him great pain. As he glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the white porcelain bowl, he felt his breathing become shallow, and watched the veins of his neck pulse and sink. Then, a horrible burning sensation travelled from his gut into his throat, and he heaved more blood and black mucus into the basin of the sink, his chest curling over and contracting as the muscles of his abdomen pressed in. For what seemed like an eternity, he stayed bent over with eyes shut, coughing and spitting, trying to take in a clean breath. But when he came up for a breath of fresh air, his eyes fell against the bed, centered in the chamber that lay ahead of his bathroom. On its covers, there sat an unopened vial, whose bright gold letters read 'neotenebrin'. It lay five feet away, and the needle that required it was just inside his bedside table drawer.

Tearing his eyes away from the substance, Vanitas stared into his own reflected eyes, snarling, "you will not take it!" as he tried to block the medication from his mind. Then, he began to laugh, and the black dots that clouded his vision traveled down his arms like rays of energy, causing his hands to shake in panic. As his stomach gurgled and burned, Vanitas held it with one hand and clung to the wall with the other, sliding to the floor as if afraid the contents within his abdomen would spill out in front of him if he were not careful. When he could not stand the pain any longer, her crawled to his bed and clawed across its covers for the medicine vial, loading it into the syringe, which he pulled off of the bedside table. The liquid within the vial was molasses thick and tarry, and when Vanitas injected it inside his arm, he could see the veins of his tan skin turn black as the medication ran through his blood. In ten minutes, the panic disappeared. Then the pain subsided and he breathed out in relief, closing his eyes and leaning his head up to the ceiling as his muscles relaxed. With a sigh, he returned to the mirror and wiped the blood away from his mouth, washing it down the sink drain until the porcelain surrounding it glowed white once more. Then, he clenched and unclenched his fists. Vanitas had noted Sephiroth doing it in his jail cell. The boy hypothesized that it was stress release.

Then, with a last look in the mirror, Vanitas examined his face. He was not unattractive. Yet he knew this only because he had been told. Everything he knew, he had been told. _"Whenever you feel happy, or sad, or angry, Vanitas, whenever you express emotion, you are hurting yourself. Whenever you are struck with an emotion, the chemicals released react with the tenebrin in your brain, which in turn reacts with the air you breathe. These three sets of molecules create a new chemical called tenebrenzyme, and this chemical causes your cells to lyse. Every moment you feel, a part of you dies. Therefore, until we can save you properly, you must not feel." _As these old words echoed in Vanitas head, he shut his eyes and remembered the time they had been said, the conditions and the situation.

It had been years ago, just before Ventus. Smiling. Strength beyond imagination. _"When I was born I was a blank book, I had no driving force within myself," _Vanitas whispered to himself in a black room, the room of remembrance created when Vanitas closed his eyes. This false Vanitas tutted, and grinned in pity. "_I was slow, so slow. I was left behind. Xehanort picked me up. He picked me up and has held me ever since."_

The false Vanitas tore apart and became milky, transforming into a hazy picture of a funeral. Two shabbily made coffins laid in the ground side by side, with white flowers thrown over to soften their outline. A sharp slap on the wrist and a wince of pain. _"The flowers go on after the dirt is put over them, you stupid boy, you've wasted them." _A figure in the distance, bald, with glowing eyes like a snake's, or a hawk's. _"I heard about your boy's sad fate," _the hawk snake murmured, a voice of cold gravel._ "I like to help when I can. The state orphanage is not the place for a bright little boy." _Sighs of relief. A brilliant after party and a seat in the corner with little shaped dust bunnies. Being taken to a castle with chimney turrets that billowed blue smoke. A room in the basement with a white sphere. Two trays sticking out of the humming mechanism, waiting side by side. A tiny, pretty blond boy on one of them, waving. Waving back, shy. Then a warm smile, and a question of fear. _"Will it hurt?" _A perhaps in response, and no further questions. Lying down on the left tray, pushed inside the white sphere. Claustrophobia. A click at the tips of the feet to say the door is locked.

Separated by a transparent wall with tubes like veins circling and entwining, slithering out as sweet mist settled. Two tubes attaching to his neck. Looking over and seeing Ventus with a tube in his neck, too. Crying and not understanding. Breathing in the mist and calming down. Black tar bubbling out of the blond boy's neck, inching forward through the tube towards Vanitas. Watching as it traveled into his own neck, turning his veins black.

Then, lying within the spherical machine, the short bursts of consciousness that punctuated Vanitas' life for so long stretched, and became blisteringly clear. Once his thoughts scuttled around and formed into a transparent sequence, Vanitas realized that the substance invading his blood, his nerves, was foreign. Everything about him glowed, and as he squirmed within the walls of the white machine, searing pain traveled up his arms, and his vision exploded with color. He did not notice Ventus being pulled from the machine. The mist still surrounded him, but he felt it disappear as fresh oxygen was pumped inside the machine. Then, the world went black, and the days passed in minutes as his body adapted.

Before he had entered the turreted mansion, before he'd met Ventus or the former, life had been a soft dream that detached Vanitas from a peripheral world. When this haze subsided, extreme sadness was his first disabling emotion. Life became painfully real, and the gravity that clung his feet to the ground pulled his body down with it. Things hurt to look at, sharp edges and dark colors jutted out farther, and his sensitivity to pain increased. The brush of a feather was searing pain. A month after the machine, he was forced to visit Ventus. The boy had lain on a hospital cot in front of him, pale and comatose, his chest rising and falling in a slow, plodding rhythm. _"What's wrong with him?" _He'd asked; his hands folded in front of him. Ventus' own colorless palms lay folded over one another in front of his chest, ice cold and tiny. _"He is dying," _the former had responded, and Vanitas asked why. _"Because the experiment did not work. You are still slow and weak. Because of you his death will be in vain." _After this, Xehanort spit on the ground and trudged away, leaving Vanitas alone and heartbroken, staring down at his dying companion.

Catapulted back from the flashbacks, the now nineteen-year-old Vanitas sat down on his small wireframe bed and closed his eyes, dispelling the memory. These visions from his past were returning more and more nowadays. But a dull twinge of sadness crept through his chest as his old memories fled to the back of his mind. Vanitas despised when he was in this strange sense of being.

Sitting up taller, Vanitas tried locating the first time he'd felt this way. It had been after Ventus- and that was the way Vanitas categorized his life. Before Ventus, during Ventus, after Ventus. After Ventus was the worst. Vanitas was still deciding the other two. After he had incited Ventus to battle, and after his companion had betrayed him, he fell rather ill. Weeks after the incident, he was due to meet a creature which Xehanort's son had named 'heartless'. Xehanort's son, the latter, was a scientist. Master Xehanort was the former: the first and the last. The heartless was the infected being spawned through the latter's scientific pursuits, and it was supposed to cure the plague of emotion that crippled Vanitas.

"_Today is the day you are cured," _the former had announced, taking his hand. They returned to the same room that had held the white machine. But this time, the room's center held the Latter, tired and old, with sunken cheeks. The Massacre of Hollow Bastion had taken its toll. Behind him he wheeled the cage that held his 'pet', a monster that stood five feet, with shiny black skin and yellow eyes. In curiosity, it glanced up at Ventus and tilted its head, like a baby.

"_It won't hurt you," _the former had hissed._ "Touch it." _

Vanitas obeyed, sticking his hand into the cage. The beast inside its bars stared at Vanitas' tan, scarred flesh with yellow hungry eyes, and in the blink of a moment, it lashed out, sinking its black rimmed teeth into the wrist of Vanitas' arm. Until it broke its toothed hold Vanitas was forced to punch its head with his free hand, until the creature let go. The deep marks the monster left bled black tar, and the cuts burned like fire until Vanitas' whole body had numbed. It was then that his emotions receded, and in their wake, there was left only the remnants of feelings, like a rubber ball dropped in a distant room.

As a knock rapped against the door, Vanitas snapped back to the present, and turned to face the room entrance.

"Vanitas, may I come in?" It was the former.

Dashing into the bathroom, Vanitas cleaned his mouth out and brushed his teeth, washing out the sink once more before hiding his bloody towel behind the bathroom's trashcan. When the former walked inside Vanitas' room, the tall young man was already standing at the room's backside, parallel to the window. He watched as the former trudged forward and sat down on Vanitas' small wire framed bed. The old man sighed as he set his cane across his lap, while Vanitas stayed standing, his arms crossed behind his back.

"You have taken your medication, am I correct?" Xehanort asked, and Vanitas nodded, looking back at the empty vile on the side of the sink. Then he glanced about his surroundings, around the small bedroom he had inhabited now for many years, in silence.

"That is good," Xehanort continued. "In any case, Sephiroth is enlisting his son for help. Once the BI targets Sephiroth, we will dispose of him and have Kadaj take his place as the puppet head of Shinra. And with my son out of jail, the country will question the BI's validity. Then, using Xemnas' expertise on his brother's work, we will develop new technology regarding Kingdom Hearts in Shinra's labs. In essence," the former continued, "things are turning out as planned. At this rate, everything will be sorted out within the next month after all," he added, setting his cane firmly on the ground and standing. But Vanitas blinked up at him in wonder.

"And my condition?" chanced the boy. In reply Xehanort stared back at him, before chuckling, turning, and advancing towards the door. "We will see how things play out," he murmured. "I will attend Naminé's trial on my own. It is tomorrow. While I am there, Sephiroth will meet with Kadaj." As Vanitas nodded, Xehanort turned to him once more, murmuring, "I am glad you are taking things well." Then, he departed, shutting the Vanitas' door with the hook of his cane.

Vanitas remained silent and smoothed out the covers of his bed as Xehanort walked down the hall. Then, he stood and circled his living space, settling before his chest of drawers. He opened the first, taking out his keepsakes box. It was a cardboard case for flowers. In it was a button from his good funeral coat, a shell from the road to the Indian reservation in which he'd met Aqua, a shard of wood from the frame of the mirror over his bed in the Land of departure. A piece of Ventus' wooden sword. Vanitas moved into the bathroom and took the bloody towel from the bin, wringing it out and ripping it to pieces before setting the shreds back at the base of the trashcan. He tore apart the keepsake box and set its cardboard pieces in, too. Then, he lit them afire and watched as the flames flicked up through the bloody material, burning it black.

The air smelled of iron and flesh. After the flames reached a good height, Vanitas emptied his keepsakes in one by one, resting them with a gentle caress amongst the flames. The sword piece died first, sputtering and hissing as it glowed red and then collapsing to ashen pieces, disappearing under a blue tongue flame. The mirror frame wood disappeared soon after. But the seashell resisted, glowed pink before it popped with small limestone cracks. But a few moments after, it exploded. Vanitas held his hand over the fire to catch the pieces that flung themselves at him, which seared his skin before returning to the bottom of the bin.

The plastic button melted last, and bits of it oozed out over its metal base, which was softening. Even the button floundered, disintegrated into black slop and caked in ashes while its metal base burned red but did not break. Ventus brought the trash bin to the sink and ran water in it, and as the fire drowned it gasped for breath, its ashes traveling up and resting against the water's surface. Then, the ashen liquid was dumped down the bath drain while the bin was washed out and set back beside the sink.

As Vanitas washed his hands, he examined their scarred frames in silence. Right now he trusted the former. But he was adaptable. Staring at his ugly hands, he wondered if his body was too damaged to be cured. Vanitas could not tell whether his master mocked or cared for him. He was not good at picking out people's emotions; he learned by facial signs but could be led astray. But he still hoped that his master would find a cure, and he hoped that the cure would show itself within a month. To ensure this, all of the former's plans would have to be carried out with perfect care. All of the pieces that held together Vanitas' life were laid atop each other in a balanced pile, eternally close to tipping. Now, there could be no more missteps, and no more surprises.

….

Axel laid spread out across the living room couch with his hands rested across Ventus' shoulders. The boy was sprawled over his torso, reading a book he had set on Axel's chest. As the red head peered down at him, he caught the boy's glance, but averted his gaze to the ceiling. Deep dark rings were set under the greens of his eyes, and after noting them Ventus sighed and rubbed Axel's stomach, before setting the book down and kissing Axel's eyelids. As the boy stroked the man's chest, he kissed Axel's forehead and played with his long red hair.

"What are you thinking about?" inquired, but Axel shrugged. "Just the lawyer that you're bringing over," the red head mumbled, adding, "Is he good?" to which Ventus chuckled. "It's a girl, and I don't know if she's good or not. She's an old friend," he added, which got Axel thinking. The day before, Ventus had mentioned that a friend of his was coming into town, and Axel had wondered whom he meant. Ventus told him that the woman had called him two days after Axel had stormed out of Roxas' house on him. Then, the boy had slipped that the person could be a potential lawyer.

"Does she work for free?" Axel chuckled, but Ventus shrugged. "I could probably get a discount out of her," He murmured, kissing Axel's neck. Thinking, the red head shut his eyes and furrowed his brows, and the boy in front of him watched the man as he lay limp, deep inside his head.

"Why don't you do anything?" Ventus suddenly hissed, and Axel pursed his lips. Then, the boy pulled Axel's shirt up and trailed circles around his chest with his tongue, moving his mouth over the man's nipples. As he sucked on one, he pressed the other between the tips of his fingers. Without warning Ventus bit Axel's nipple hard, and the man gasped in anxiety, before launching Ventus off the couch and onto the floor, which made the boy yelp in fright. With stooped frame the red head stood over Ventus and glared at him, casting the boy's face in thin shadow. "What the hell was that for?" he hissed. In apology the blond kneeled before him and kissed the man's stomach, but the red head squirmed from his grasp, before sitting back on the couch. Ventus watched the man as he massaged his chest, but in exasperation he folded his hands in front of him and whined, "What's wrong with you? For the past few days you've been a fucking vegetable." Saving Axel from response was a sudden knock on the door, and with a bright spring the red head lunged towards it, throwing his shirt back over his front as he reached the knob.

When Axel turned the knob and pulled the door towards him, what lay outside of it caught his breath. A woman in a black high-necked shirt and pants stood turned away from him, but stepped around to glance at him when he opened the door further. Dark lashes framed her aquamarine eyes, and her short navy hair tousled around her ears in a messy bob. She was tall. And as Axel looked down at her chest, he remembered why he needed to start dating women his own age. But the woman's eyes softened as she looked inside the house, and Axel froze in surprise as she wet her lips and sighed, looking into the distance as if caught in a trance.

"Is that you?" murmured the woman, gulping back tears, and Axel felt something well up in his chest. Did he know her from somewhere? Suddenly, she held her arms out to him and rushed forward, and without second thought Axel returned the gesture, watching as the woman flew _past _him in slight confusion.

"Ventus!" she cried in delight, hugging the boy close to her as though afraid he would slip away. The woman rocked the boy back and forth, who closed his eyes as he was held, and sighed. "I'm so sorry." Added the woman in a whisper.

"It's okay. Xehanort made you leave." Ventus mumbled in return. But the woman shook her head and leaned towards the boy in front of her with hard eyes. "No," she murmured. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

As Ventus' eyes grew big, and then crinkled with an uncharacteristic, childlike grin, his companion remembered where she was and stepped away, brushing herself off and blushing. "Well, what is it that you wanted me to help you with, Ven?" she snapped, and Ventus pointed to Axel. It then became apparent Ventus' friend had not noticed the red head as of that moment, but when she did glance at him her cheeks pinked. "Hello," She muttered, and Axel nodded, vocally incapacitated. "I'm Aqua," she added, holding out her hand. Axel shook it, still dumb.

"Axel needs a lawyer," Ventus announced for him, and Axel nodded again, to which Aqua smiled and shrugged.

"Well, I'll try my best," explained the woman. "I've only been at it for one year, but I think that I'm pretty good. So I may be able to help you," She said in a strong voice, and Axel closed his eyes, listening to her talk.

"After my completion of the Mark of Mastery Exam under Master Eraqus I attended the Guardian Academy in Palumpolum for four years. I was going to return here, but then the war began in Pulse, so I escaped and entered law school in Free Gestahlia. Four years later, I was back in Pulse for a year, and now I'm back here!" she finished with a sigh, and then waited for a response. But there was a moment's silence as Axel scratched the back of his head. "I don't have any money to give you," blurted the red head finally, and Aqua pursed her lips. "I can't work volunteer. I need money, too," She murmured, but Ventus waved her off. "He'll get the money. And you can stay with me and Roxas for the time being," He explained, and Aqua nodded to herself, taking it all in.

"That would be great." Then, Aqua waited for a response, but when it did not come, she chirped, "Well, shall we get started?" and plunked herself down on the couch. As she thumbed through paperwork Ventus crawled into the crook of her arm and snuggled into her, while Axel sat awkwardly on a chair across from the couch, twiddling his thumbs.

"So, Axel, you're being convicted because of your involvement with the Organization 13 scandals, right?" she asked, and Axel nodded.

"Do we have any witnesses? Any tapes?" She tried, and Axel nodded again, immediately thinking of Marluxia. "I know a few people," he mumbled, and Aqua smiled. "Can I have their names?" she tried, and Axel pursed his lips.

"Well, there are Roxas and Xion, and Naminé…" murmured the red head, immediately feeling bad for roping them into his affairs. "…And some others," He added with hesitance, making Aqua glance into his eyes. "You don't have to withhold people's information. I'm going to have to talk to them, anyway," She reasoned, making Axel squirm as he snapped, "I know, I just want to take care of him by myself," in response. "I need to know his name," pursued Aqua. After sighing in agitation, Axel growled "Marluxia," to which Aqua nodded, scribbling the note down amongst the pages of her files. "Do you know anyone who may be testifying against you?"

Axel shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "Xemnas. Maybe Larxene. But I doubt that," He added. "She used to like me a lot." Aqua tilted her head and looked at him closely. "Still, you never know what people will do," She murmured, looking down at the ground. Her eyelashes fluttered in front of her eyes as they moved over the pages in front of her, and Axel felt his face going red in strange embarrassment. With sudden intensity he jumped up and aired out the inside of his shirt, muttering about the heat as he escaped to the kitchen and clicked on the electric fan at the side of the counter. After standing in front of it for a few moments, he returned to the living room and sat down, causing Aqua to stare at him. In that moment, Axel had the idea that she thought he was strange. Ventus' expression was unintelligible.

"Well, I'm going to contact the Director and ask for his help on this case," Aqua sighed as she reached for her cellphone. In response Axel gaped. "You know Sora's dad?" asked the red head, causing Aqua to avert her gaze. "A long time ago," muttered the woman, brightening as she continued, "But I think he'd be willing to help us out." Then, she walked into the kitchen and made a call.

Once her tall frame moved from the living room into the confines of the kitchen, Ventus grinned at Axel, snickering. "What is it?" snapped Axel in reply, but Ventus shrugged, responding, "I've just never seen you so head over heels before."

"You haven't known me that long," muttered Axel.

"You're usually so cool and collected," murmured Ventus in response, but Axel sighed.

"I've never met a woman like her!" He mumbled. With a pitying smile, Ventus leaned towards him and hissed, "she's mine," making Axel scoff in discomfort, his eyes growing wide as he mulled over his numerous predicaments. For a moment, Ventus stared at him, but then the boy broke out laughing. "You look so damn sad!" he snorted, folding his palm over his open mouth as he laughed. "Aw, poor Axel. All of the people he likes are with me now," added the boy, making a pouty face. In response Axel looked down at his hands in bitter vehemence. The boy knew nothing.

"I don't think we've been sharing properly," Ventus then hissed, his face forming a grimace. "I give you everything but you never return the favor," To this Axel folded his arms over his chest and gritted his teeth, replying, "I've given all of myself to you!" in bated whisper, but Ventus shook his head.

"If you'd given all of yourself to me you'd be in love with me right now," He mumbled, adding in a less emotive drawl, "If you share yourself with me, I'll share my friends with you," making Axel blink twice.

"But you've got to give _everything _of yourself to me," Ventus restated, but Axel scowled. "What do you want me to do? I'm trying my best," snapped the red head. Ventus shook his head again. "Get a damn back bone, for a start. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself."

"Whatever," Axel mumbled, refusing to look Ventus in the eye. Disgust and hopelessness was dragging him into a careless stupor, and instead of speaking, Axel sat with his hands folded before his chin, which rested into the crook at the center of his collarbone. It was then that Aqua returned with her hands on her hips, standing behind the armchair Axel was seated in.

"Well!" she beamed, and patted Axel on the shoulder, sending a tingling sensation down his arm. "He said he'd help! He was delighted to hear from me. Axel, can you tell me again who is convicting you?"

"Xemnas," Axel muttered, and Aqua frowned. "I thought he was in jail."

Axel shook his head. "Not anymore. His dad took him out."

"You mean Master Xehanort?" Aqua breathed in a strangled voice. Axel nodded, asking, "You got a problem with that?" With shuffling feet Aqua replied, "We had a couple of run-ins in the past," but soon she strengthened and waved it off. "But that's alright. I'll deal with it. This needs to be done," She finished with a murmur that made Axel purse his lips and wonder what had happened to her. He gathered that she had personal ties with Xemnas' family.

The ensuing conversation between Axel and Aqua bored Ventus, and as they spoke he stood and mumbled that he was going to the bathroom. Aqua's eyes followed his frame as it left the room, but when he was gone she turned a cold gaze on Axel, growling, "Did you do something to him?" In response Axel snorted in derision. "What are you talking about?" he drawled, but before he could elaborate Aqua darted in front of him until their noses were inches apart.

"Something is very wrong with that boy," She muttered. "He was never like this when he was with me. He's changed."

"I've changed since I was a kid, too," Axel snickered, shrugging when Aqua shot a glower at him. "I don't know what happened. He was like this when he came here," Axel muttered.

"When did he come here?" Aqua asked and Axel thought about it. "A few weeks ago, I think," He replied. In response Aqua tilted her head to the side, whispering, "I wonder," with a look of worry. With relish Axel traced the contours of her face and took in her profile. His eyelids lowering as he was lost in thought. But finally Aqua pulled herself from her anxieties and glanced back at Axel, forcing him to avert his gaze. "I think that I'll be on my way in a moment," she murmured, frowning in concentration before adding, "I need to talk to the Director. Take care. Once you get that other witness of yours, tell me so I can talk to him."

Then, she got her things together and headed for the door, calling up the stairs to Ven as she hurried for the front hall. "Bye, Ven!" she shouted as the boy poked his head around from the upstairs hallway. "I'm coming back with dinner!" added the woman, and Ventus waved at her from the top of the stairs. Then, Aqua was out the door, down the hallway, and gone. Silence pervaded his surroundings as Axel fell into a pout, folding his hands into his trouser pockets and slumping his shoulders.

"You really like her, don't you?" Ventus sighed, moving towards the couch, and Axel glanced at the ground, deliberating on what Ventus had told him before, about the sharing. With hollow inflection the red head mumbled a yes in reply, and Ventus grinned.

"Come 'ere." Murmured the boy fondly, and after a moment's pause, Axel trudged over to him and crawled into his arms.


	11. Choice

The rain pattered relentlessly against the living room window as Kadaj watched from inside his small Nibelheim apartment. His inhabitance was dull and dreary, like the surrounding village, but it was necessary.

Days ago Sephiroth had contacted him, asking if they could meet and discuss a business partnership. Kadaj had not yet informed Loz or Yazoo. He did not want them involved in his personal affairs any more. Because the brothers had been forced together for so many years, their presence had become stifling to each other, and Kadaj carried the blistering awareness of his difference from them. Things were easier for his brothers. They had not been through what he had been through. Maybe, because of that, he and his father would see eye to eye.

As the doorbell rang, Kadaj took a deep breath. Then, he hoisted himself from his seat and trudged towards the front door, unlocking and answering it. Sephiroth stood under the porch overhang, wringing out his black umbrella in savage bursts of movement. "Is something wrong, father?" asked Kadaj, but Sephiroth snickered in response before scowling.

"I've been barred from visiting Hojo," the man finally elaborated. "Why, I do not know. And the old man and his _ambassador _he seems to adore so much… sometimes I wonder just how close they really are, how low that little shit bends his back..." Sephiroth snorted at his thoughts while his son turned away from him, wrinkling his nose in disgust. The man once famed for his intellect and bravery now consisted of mere wisps of his former glory.

"Trust does not equate to…" began Kadaj, but then trailed off, pursing his lips in discomfort. But his father finished the sentence for him. "Sex?" tried the man. Kadaj averted his gaze in distaste once more, and Sephiroth snickered before he took a seat in Kadaj's armchair, getting comfortable before he continued his mission statement. "I did not come to complain," Sephiroth murmured, "I wondered if you wanted to help me." In return, Kadaj's eyes lifted with a cool glance, meeting with those of the man sitting across from him.

"Since you do happen to be my eldest son and I do happen to be the new Head of Shinra, I wondered if you were interested in becoming my right hand man," Sephiroth drawled. "Then you'd know the ropes when I got too old to head the company anymore." To this, Kadaj imagined himself sitting at the great oaken desk that swallowed the room of the former President of Shinra Corporations. The scene took Kadaj's breath, and an uncharacteristic smile played across his features as he replied, "that would be wonderful," nodding his head in affirmation.

In reply Sephiroth clenched and unclenched his fists, his mind working with thoughts of the future, and of his bitterness. "With you and me side by side, we can eventually put down the old man," He sneered in a sudden hiss, surprising Kadaj. He thought that Sephiroth had great respect for Xehanort. After all, the man had gotten him out of a sizeable jail sentence.

"I don't like people treating me like a pet," hissed Sephiroth, responding unconsciously to Kadaj's mental questioning. "That's what he thinks of me as! A stupid dog… a pup that he can kick around. A poster child!" As the list went on further, Sephiroth's fists clenched and unclenched harder, until he stood from his chair and paced, wiping his long fingers across his mouth. "I think that I need to pay a visit to Hojo," He added, as if the thought just entered his head, but Kadaj immediately weighed the disadvantages. "Please remember the implications that plan would spawn," he reasoned, as Sephiroth stared out the window into the town that he had once destroyed. "He is under custody of the Investigation Bureau, walking in on enemy territory-"

"-Means I've got nothing to hide," finished Sephiroth for Kadaj, ending the conversation. It was apparent that the older man would not be reasoned with.

"What do you want to discover?" Kadaj asked after a short pause of thought. Sephiroth shrugged. "The old man was talking about him. And if he was talking about it, it must be important." There was silence as Sephiroth formulated what he would say next while Kadaj waited, and when the older man had decided, he cleared his throat and turned to face his son once more, the angle of light from the window casting shadow across the right side of his face but bathing the other in strong grey light. "But I will need your help, as I said before," murmured Sephiroth, and Kadaj nodded. Then, the young man's father chuckled and clapped his hands in affected adulation.

"The old man has taken interest in you as well," Sephiroth explained, but Kadaj was silent with misunderstanding.

"You do know that the Investigation Bureau is trying to find a trail that leads to me, right?" Sephiroth chuckled, and Kadaj nodded again. "Well, it seems they've got a bit of information on me that I'd rather they didn't decipher," continued the older man.

"What do you mean, sir?" Kadaj asked in return. Though Sephiroth was quiet at first, rage contorted his face, and he pursed his lips in decision. Then, his glowering eyes met with those of his son, and he stepped towards him with silence. "I need to tell you a little bit about myself first, about my past. This is confidential," he added in a hiss. Kadaj did not respond.

"I was born of a scientist named Lucrecia Crescent," Sephiroth began, "and Hojo was my father. When I was a year old I was put under experimentation in an endeavor titled 'Project S'. I was subjected to this ordeal, never able to see the light of day, until I was thirteen years old, when my memories of my time in captivity were wiped. I became a 1st class SOLDIER, and was respected as a hero. Years later, my team and myself received a mission that led us to Nibelheim. Upon discovering the old experimentation labs used under Project S, pieces of my memory returned to me. I escaped to Shinra Mansion, where I gathered information on where I came from, and in my ensuing rage destroyed everything. Unfortunately, a few people saw what I did," He finished, shrugging, "The man who witnessed the most was a young SOLDIER, just eighteen years old at the time, named Zack Fair."

"Aerith's fiancé," Kadaj gasped in reply, to which Sephiroth groaned and rubbed his temple before answering in the affirmative before adding, "Who is also under custody of the Investigation Bureau. But that is not the point," continued the man, waving his hand away from his face in dismissal. "His memory of the Incident was wiped by Shinra many years ago with the use of a set of special code words."

"And if repeated in his presence," Kadaj replied, "will those code words return his memory?" to which Sephiroth responded with a scowl of affirmation.

"What are they?" Kadaj asked, but Sephiroth shot him a suspicious glance before continuing, "It's 'Cetra's Hand'", with a dark chuckle. "Apparently I said it to Zack in passing when we were in the labs. But, a few weeks ago, a few cronies from the BI did a little bit of a 'secret inspection' of a Shinra file burning operation and retrieved the file with the code. If they get Zack to remember what I did," Sephiroth hissed, "things are going to look very bad for me."

In ponderous silence Kadaj twiddled his thumbs and waited for his father to continue, but the man sat against the corner of his living room wall and seethed, unable to speak. So, his son cleared his throat, adding, "well, if you made a case to escape jail despite your crimes, can't you make a case against this?"

Xehanort has informed me that he 'll relinquish support if I misstep," hissed Sephiroth in reply, and Kadaj looked away. The man before him was stolid, useless as a stone. But he possessed a benefactor of great interest to his son. "I will help you," the young man mumbled. "That's great," responded Sephiroth. Then, he stood and headed for the door. "We will move you to an apartment in Midgar so you can be closer to us. I'll have to have you act as a bit of an agent."

In curiosity Kadaj glanced up, his fingertips running cold when he noted his father's sly grin. "You know the enemy," his father sneered. "Make friends with Sora's dad. Get a little bit of information out of him. Maybe the kid knows something," added the man with a shrug. Then his eyes fell to slits as he took in Kadaj's frame. "You're certainly cute enough to make him open up for you," the man added in a murmur. But as he turned and opened the door, Kadaj hurried towards him and stopped his progress, staring him down in defiance.

"Just remember, father," hissed the boy, letting the last word slip like acid spit from his tongue. "I will not prostitute my qualities for your benefit. I said I would _help _you, nothing more." When he moved away from his father, Sephiroth stepped closer to him and touched the young man on the arm. In response, his opponent recoiled and backed into the living room center, where he folded his shaking hands into his pockets and stared at the ground.

"Calm down, Kadaj," Sephiroth murmured in between stifled snickers. But then his face grew serious with memory, and he fell silent before responding, "I know Hojo did something to you, as well. I can see it in your face," He added, pointing to Kadaj's eyes. Then, the older man's face softened. "Every day, I see it in the mirror."

In reply Kadaj shook his head, folding in on himself when he felt his father's shadow cast over him. "Do you think you are helping me?" hissed the young man finally, fidgeting though he had resolved not to move. "I got over it," continued the boy, hissing, "I don't want to talk about it." Before he held his hand up in a weak attempt to forbid his father's footsteps. From his downturned eyes, Kadaj observed his father's halted feet, slightly turned out, slightly shuffling. Then, a strong grip descended on his shoulder and the young man looked up in shock, meeting eyes with the face of his father, whose teeth were gritted in anger. "People like us must confide in each other!" the man growled, adding, "the last thing people like us need is to be alone." And with a final shake of the young man's shoulder, he let his son go, watching as the young man lurched away from his grip and settled into the confines of the room's far wall.

"I'm better," gasped Kadaj as he clung to the shadowed wallpaper behind him. Then, yet he bolted forward with great speed, his father had only to throw his arm in front of the boy's path to stop his escape. Silent with shock, Kadaj was pinned to the front hall wall, where Sephiroth shook him by the shoulders and forced the boy to look at him.

"You will never get better!" snarled the older man, jabbing at Kadaj's chest in accusation. "Trust me, I know! You think you have adapted because you feel happy and you've made friends. But then you begin to feel the same mistrust and resentment that haunted your actions before, returning! When you are alone with yourself, you realize that the misconceptions you've built around your true situation are weak as paper! You'll kill yourself if you do not accept the truth!" he shouted, but Kadaj refused to meet his eyes. "You need someone like you," Sephiroth hissed. When his son did not respond, the older man pushed him against the wall once more before releasing him from his grip. Then he departed the house, slamming the door behind him as he left.

As the sound of Sephiroth's car disappeared, replaced by the patter of heavy rain, Kadaj held his heart and panted for breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to facilitate a return to composure.

"_I cannot work with that man,"_ Kadaj thought to himself, _"He'll destroy me. I'm too fragile." _But as the thought of being the right hand man to the great Master Xehanort crossed his mind, his eyes narrowed and he thought over his condition. He wondered if Sephiroth's maliciousness was a mere hunger, a need to devour. There was nothing worth redeeming in the man, and even Kadaj, who was mostly ignorant to the situation his father had become a part of, could sense that the older man's time would run out soon. But he could not condemn the man just yet. What of the family that he had dreamed of so long?

The only problem that sat with him was that of the Director's son, Sora. He knew the boy and he knew his friends. Kadaj had never betrayed a friend before. Sudden thoughts of the girl Naminé drifted into his head, wonderings about her current condition. He had not received word of her since the first summer party at Aerith's. Yet she, too, would feel the pain of betrayal brought about by Kadaj's future interactions with Sora and with Xehanort, because of her friendship to the boy. Kadaj hoped that when they met once more, it would be on better terms.

….

Naminé observed Xion as the dark haired girl prepared for their court case that morning. Her companion crossed about her surroundings with a heavy tread, one that betrayed a lack of confidence hidden by impulsive movements. Though the girl's eyes were dark, they shone bright, and she smiled with a sureness Naminé hoped was real, but knew had little grounding in reality. Once Xion had smoothed her hair back and pinned her fringe to the side, she turned to the blond girl and set her hands on her hips. "Are we ready to go?" she asked in a breathy sigh, and Naminé nodded in return, reaching for her purse, which was set at the side of the door. "Right," Xion sighed with a quick nod of her head, and pushed past Naminé towards the staircase. Once there, Cid assisted them in their passage to the living room, where two cops stood waiting. When the policemen noticed the girls descending the stairs, they both held their hands out to be shaken, and the girls greeted them one by one before the cops addressed Cid. A haze clouded Naminé's senses so that she did not register their speech, but Xion's ears were perked like those of a fox. Her sharp eyes darted from one man to the next, observing and calculating in silence.

"Well," Cid breathed, turning to Naminé and Xion with a pitying smile, though he attempted to mask it with bright inflection, "Are you two ready to go?" The girls nodded in return, and Cid gave leave to the police agents, who took the girls by the arms and led them to the cop car perched outside the house. Once inside, they were whisked towards Disney City, where they would await trail in the lobby of Disney Castle, the same venue that had given Naminé her freedom two years ago. It was amazing how quickly it could be taken away. The state had granted a lawyer to the girls because they could not fund their own, due to the fact that Naminé's accounts had been frozen until she provided ample proof of her adulthood. Yet, neither of the girls possessed a valid birth certificate. As they both ascended the Disney Castle stairs and walked in towards their allotted courtroom, Naminé felt Xion's strong hand on her shoulder. When she turned to face her companion, she saw that Xion's face was sure. The girl even winked. "We have nothing to worry about," she murmured, which made Naminé smile and mutter in return, "I don't know yet." But Xion shook her head as they seated themselves at the head of their room. "Even if we do get kicked out of this place, we could be nomads again!" she whispered with shining eyes. "We'll have the whole world to ourselves!" Xion glanced out the window and sighed in reverie, watching the sun that was high in the sky. Then Naminé noticed her companion's trembling hands.

Their lawyer, a balding man of about forty-five, entered next, chewing aimlessly at a piece of fried okra from a Styrofoam take-away box. He nodded at them as he sat down, and Xion gritted her teeth in anticipation. When she and Naminé had met with him the night before the trial, she had been shocked. The girl had never expected a man like this would become their representation in court.

Marluxia was seated at the table across from them, relaxed and bored. But when Naminé glanced around at the witnesses being called in, Naminé's fingers went cold as she noticed the headmistress of her old boarding school staring at her over red-rimmed, cat-eye glasses. The woman's outfit looked like it was cut out of a history book, it's long thick collar buttoning up to the tip of the woman's receding chin. Naminé was sure a corset lay hidden beneath the torso's depths. When the young girl examined the witnesses further, she noticed both physicians of her orphanages, a nurse, and the girl from the bank who she talked with frequently. But a bang of the gavel from the head of the room redirected Naminé's attention, and the judge ahead lifted up his hands.

"This court is now called into session," announced the old man, and everyone stood up. While the witnesses were led away, the lawyers stood up to make their opening statements. Marluxia's lawyer checked his stopwatch before he stood, and cleared his throat as he gripped his paperwork in his hands. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, the double doors leading into the courtroom opened again. At their center walked in an old man supported by a thin, gold rimmed black cane, and a silence descended over the whole of the room as he stepped forth before the judge's desk. His feet stopped right before the judge, and the old man bowed as the double doors at his back closed with a resounding thud. When he raised his head again, the gentleman chuckled, murmuring, "excuse my tardiness," in a voice filled with gravel. It was at this moment that Naminé grew intensely aware of his identity, while Xion stared at the old key blade master in befuddlement. Then her eyes led her around the rest of the room. Beside her Naminé felt as though her heart would beat from her chest to the floor. Marluxia stared back at his old benefactor in deep confusion as well, and fear. The old man glanced back with narrowed, snake yellow eyes.

"Let us continue with our open statements," murmured the judge, and the room nodded as the old man seated himself in one of the front rows of the audience aisles. After statements were completed the prosecution stepped up to the stand. Their first witness was a nurse, who concluded by examination that Xion was the same age as Naminé. They then called up Naminé's physician from L'Académie. He was a handsome man, albeit with a distinct, artificial look about him.

"So, Naminé came to L'Académie Pour Les Petite Débutantes how many years ago?" Marluxia's lawyer asked.

"She was moved into our orphanage when she was very young," responded the physician with a forlorn sigh. "She had a little child's face."

Naminé pursed her lips, wondering what else they would ask him. She thought that she knew what was coming.

"Did she begin her period while at L'Académie?"

The physician glanced at Naminé. Then he returned his gaze to the lawyer. "No," he said, and Naminé gaped. It was a downright lie. She remembered when she'd gotten it as clear as day. She'd ran crying to one of the nurses, because she thought that she had been dying, and the physician had told her to get out, and that she was disgusting. One of her board mates had to tell her what was happening and let her borrow her toiletries. That had been during her last year there, when thoughts of running away plagued her mind. Naminé remembered with distinction, writing letters to the Academy for permission to receive 'monthly materials for ladies', as they called them. Where were those letters filed, she wondered. From that moment on, the physician's words translated to dribble when they reached Naminé's ears. Instead of listening, she glanced towards Xion, who stared dead ahead with wide, determined eyes. The black haired girl pressed her thumb and forefinger into the sides of her other fingers as she exhaled deep breaths. But when her eyes caught Naminé's, she gave an awkward smile and averted her gaze, back to the current witness, who was now being replaced by Naminé's old headmistress.

Once the woman took her vow of honesty and became comfortable in her witness box seat, she was questioned about Naminé's behavior. The woman spoke of how untrustworthy Naminé had been and about her propensity for trouble, citing that Naminé ran away from the school for ladies and became a tramp at the mere age of eleven. "Girls who become like that at such a young age do not get better without severe assistance," pontificated the woman in conclusion, eyeing Naminé before she was called back to the witness room. As the older woman left, Xion looked over at Naminé in surprise.

Then, Naminé and Xion's defense stood up. Their witnesses were themselves, and the physicians and caretaker from The Orphanage That Never Was. Their lawyer blubbered through several lines of questioning before he returned to his seat and resumed chewing on his friend okra, and while he sat back in his seat in a befuddled daze, Marluxia's lawyer cross-examined. The suave man made a point of citing the ignorance of the physicians from The Orphanage That Never Was when they said that they believed Naminé was, indeed, eighteen years old from her medical examinations. Their lack of a doctorate in their field made them easy targets for questions regarding their education, and they quickly became defensive when Marluxia's lawyer suggested they were unfit for their job titles. By the time the old caretaker hobbled up to the stand, she was livid on behalf of her colleagues. When the woman suggested that Naminé's untrustworthiness and escape from L'Académie was due to mistreatment from the staff, gasps rang throughout the courtroom as its inhabitants gossiped about the burst of insolence.

"No further questioning," chuckled Marluxia's lawyer, after which the old caretaker was led away from the stand and into the witness' chamber. Then, the assembly was seated for the closing remarks and the judge's final decision. A long wait ensued as the lawyers spoke one last time, and as the judge interacted with a doctor on hand. Once the doctor trudged away and the judge turned his face to the assembly, the gavel was thudded against the sounding block and the inhabitants of the room rose to their feet in anticipation. Xion was almost floating in front of her chair, standing on her tiptoes in anxiety as the judge ahead shuffled paperwork and set them down before him.

"Through careful medical examination and circumstantial evidence," the judge cried across the courtroom, "we have concluded that the girls, Naminé and Xion, last names unknown, are at this point in time, 14 years old." As the great gavel in his hand thudded against the sounding block once more, Naminé felt as though stars had burst on the lines of her vision. She began to feel ill, and clutched to the edges of the table in front of her for support as the judge continued his remarks. Marluxia's lawyer smiled at his client as the judge continued, but Xion darted her head from the judge to her own lawyer, as if the words being spoken were a joke, and the real verdict would be relayed soon after everyone had been given a moment to laugh.

"The girls have been deemed not able to support themselves until they are proven to be 18 years of age, which will be in four years," continued the judge.

Naminé tried not to cry, instead forcing herself to be strong. She could not act like the little girl she had been two years ago. Suddenly, as an idea struck her she jumped up and raising her hand in the air to get the judge's attention. When he looked in her direction, she blurted out, "May I ask anyone else if they want to adopt me? Besides Marluxia?" added Naminé, and the judge chuckled with incredulity. "You're getting ahead of yourself a little bit, aren't you?" he joked, causing Naminé to purse her lips in bottled anger. She was not the young billionaire she had been before. Now, she was just a fourteen-year-old child once more.

"You have till tomorrow to get an adoption together," the judge responded. "Until then you will both be in custody of a guard who will accompany you wherever you need to go. If you cannot organize an adoption, you will be sent to an orphanage. Our next meeting will be at 3 o'clock tomorrow, in room 233."

Naminé nodded in return, and a strange calmness washed over her. "May I use the restroom?" she said, feeling the warmth of tears as they streamed down her cheeks. In pity, the judge replied, "Yes, yes, you may go," and Naminé nodded again, walking out of the courtroom with Xion's curious eyes on her back. Footsteps echoed behind her as she walked, and as Naminé stared over her shoulder she met glance with a male security guard who had been sent after her. The guard nodded at her, and Naminé nodded back, before turning around and continuing towards the bathroom. When she reached the bathroom door, she excused herself from the guard's side and the man bowed, allowing her privacy as she went inside. "I'll try not to take to long," Naminé added with affected desolation, and the guard nodded again as Naminé shut the bathroom door behind her. Once inside the room, she trudged towards the mirror and wiped her face. There was only one person joining her in the toilet, and that was a woman in the third stall. Soon the toilet flushed, though, and the woman washed her hands and departed, leaving Naminé alone in the chamber, examining herself in the mirror. As the woman's footsteps disappeared down the hall outside the room, Naminé's eyes darted to the window at her side and she breathed a sigh of relief.

With silent footsteps she flew towards it and looked out of its frame onto the ground below. She stood three stories above the grassed area surrounding this part of Disney Castle, but a window to the floor below her was open. Naminé thought that it would be better to go through that, rather than jumping all the way to the ground. Or, she could just attempt to inch her way to the bottom of the building in one piece.

As Naminé inched out from the window she exhaled a deep breath and turned herself around. Then, she lowered herself down until she was dangling by her fingertips from the bathroom windowsill, her shoes two feet above the overhang below. Shutting her eyes and then opening them in anticipation, Naminé let go of the window she held, and landed on the windowsill below her, grabbing the underside of its windowpane with her fingers so that she did not topple over. After a moment's rest she repeated these steps until she landed on a bed of grass.

For a moment she caught her breath and steadied it, touching her hand to her heart as she knelt down with trembling hands. With one last look up at the window, she pursed her lips and blew out a sigh of relief. But as she glanced around her, and noticed the hordes of flowers lining her grassed path forward, she panicked in realization of where she had landed. This was King Mickey's garden.

With a groan she contemplated hiding under the bush of fluffy pink flowers to her left as long as she could manage. But when she heard the King's voice mere paces from her feet, she charged into a bed of blue and peeked out from inside their walls, wringing her hands in her white dress, as the King's chattering grew nearer.

"The hydrangeas are looking gorgeous, Minnie!" sighed Mickey as he stepped forward, his arm hooked around that of his wife.

"Well, the gardener is doing a great job, Mickey!" replied his wife affectionately, and Naminé clenched her fists in jealousy and fear. But as she shuffled about in discomfort, the garden around her grew silent. The wind held its breath, and Naminé stopped breathing herself as her eyes darted back and forth in wonder. Then, the king's light footsteps padded forward, and Naminé screamed as the bush she hid behind was forced aside with surprising strength. When the girl looked up and met the fierce gaze of the king, her eyes grew wide in fright while his softened. Realizing whom the girl before him was, King Mickey softened, giving a light chuckle as he shook his shoulders and patted Naminé's arm. Behind him, his wife peered over his shoulder in an attempt to see what was going on.

"What are you doing back here, Naminé?" the king asked with masked suspicion, but Naminé shrugged in reply, thinking of what she could tell him. Then she breathed out and tried to relax.

"King Mickey?" she asked, and the King looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I want you to take over the business I have going. I mean, rather, stop the payments," She elaborated, gulping. "Why?" King Mickey said in shocked reply, but Naminé shook her head. "I'd rather not have my money taken from me, and especially by a man that I really do not like," she elaborated, wondering with immediate fear if she'd said too much. But ahead of her King Mickey pursed his lips. Naminé watched as Queen Minnie hurried towards the castle, and silence overfell the remaining pair, as they stayed rooted in place, beside the blue hydrangeas Naminé had taken home in moments before. Then, taking advantage of the atmosphere, the girl sighed and looked into Mickey's eyes.

"King?" she asked, and the man before her nodded. "How did you make it with nothing?" she continued. To this, King Mickey chuckled and folded his hands into his pockets. "I had a lot of hope in my heart," he murmured, putting his forefinger up to make a point. "That's the most important thing! You've got to be brave, or everything will go wrong!" He added. Then, he sighed, reminiscing. "My old boss Pete still calls me the 'boat boy king'! I've come far! If only I could make everything better for everyone here…" Naminé shrugged in reply, responding, "I'm sure things will come out alright." Though, Naminé wasn't sure if she believed that statement herself. Then the point of the interaction came to her mind.

"Um, I was also wondering," murmured the girl with a sweet smile, "If you could let me out?" In return King Mickey chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Of course I can! But, I have to ask, how did you find your way into my garden?"

Naminé shrugged. "Well, I came here from… the bathroom…" she mumbled, and King Mickey nodded, more confused than before. But with a final sigh of exasperation he muttered, "I'm going to believe you have a good reason for this!" as he beckoned for her to follow him to the gate. When its black iron shone like onyx ahead of them, Naminé glanced up at the King, gripping the coat sleeve of his arm in fear. "Please don't tell anyone that I was here!" added the girl, and then she knew that she'd said too much.

Without another word, the king let her out of the gate, and Naminé bolted down the road without looking back. Her heart beat fast as she ran towards the Disney City train station. When its golden turrets gleamed up above her, she charged forth through their red double entrance doors and looked around in earnest for the train that would lead her to Twilight Town, knowing that Marluxia and his men would be searching for her by now. Slithering past the ticket check lanes and darting onto the Twilight Town line ticketless, Naminé hoped that the Disney Castle security had not put out a missing child alert yet. But to her horror, as the train she sat on chugged along, an announcement blared out across the train just as it pulled past Hollow Bastion.

"There has been a missing girl reported in Disney City, the last citing placed her in the Royal Train Station in Disney City going in the direction of the yellow and green lines. If you see a girl with pale skin, blonde hair reaching the shoulders, and blue eyes, in a white hoodie and a pair of jean shorts, please report her to the nearest help desk so that she can be returned to her guardians. Thank you." In the blink of an eye Naminé's hoodie was shoved behind one of the train window seats, and the hat from the head of a sleeping boy was tucked onto her scalp to hide her hair. She kept the brim of the hat down as the train stopped before Twilight Town, and she hurried out of its doors amidst a few suspicious glances. But things only became worse as she stepped into the main station. Cops lined the building's corners and perimeter, stopping random people and asking them questions; looking at their faces. As Naminé watched the onslaught she only panicked more, looking around in desperation for an escape route that was not appearing. But then, with an internal cry of relief, she spotted an emergency exit and slinked out of it, shock painting her face when she saw what lay before her.

A dozen policemen patrolled Main Street on either sidewalk, examining the pedestrians who passed them by with keen eyes. But Naminé kept her head bent low as she trudged forth, and hurried out from the station and down the street unnoticed. Her heart beat like a hammer as she turned down a side street and broke into a light jog, but slowed when she realized that someone was following her. Refusing to look behind, she ducked into a low-lying alley that fed out into the forest near Yen Sid's tower. When she heard voices in its direction, she became scared and charged for the mansion instead.

Once there, she launched herself over the iron fence surrounding the house and through the front door, running up to her old room in between shaking sobs. With shaking hands she ripped her drawings from the walls and stuffed them into a woven shopping basket that Pence had left there ages ago. Thinking of where she could escape to next, Naminé wondered if Pence, or even Roxas would keep her safe, and after she'd gathered together her painting equipment and college supplies she dashed into Xion's room to retrieve her things. Though her and Xion's college debts had been paid, the girls would be arrested if they attempted to attend the first day of class. As Naminé glanced at the college supplies in her arms, she realized that they were useless. But as she stared at them further her eyes glazed over and her arms fell limp, sending the painting and college supplies crashing to the floor. Then, clinging to the wall, Naminé slid to the ground as well, covering her eyes in horror. She had forgotten Xion.

How could she have forgotten Xion? With her head gripped tightly in her arms, Naminé wailed and rocked herself back and forth in the realization that had Xion been with her, neither of them would have gotten this far. What on earth would she do?

With a sigh of grief Naminé glanced around at Xion's room, at the decorations from Organization Thirteen and before that the girl had set up around her bed. A horde of seashells lay strewn across her bedside dresser, little bits of thalassa shells that were cracked with age, oily from the touch of hands.

Naminé did not want to leave Xion behind, but she would be caught if she tried to rescue her. With her papers held close to her chest, Naminé curled into a ball and breathed in and out with slow deliberation, in an attempt to calm herself down. But as sobs overtook her again the creak of floorboards echoing up from the foyer of the mansion entered her ears, and her crying died to a punctuated sniffle. Though she listened in silence, the floorboards did not creak again, and Naminé's shoulders relaxed as her crying started up again. She thought to herself that now was the time to leave. Perhaps she could get herself to safety and then return for Xion when she deemed it safe.

Hoisting herself up from the ground, she bundled all of her supplies together and headed back to her room, where Pence's woven bag was waiting for her. It would hold her supplies as she escaped. But as Naminé passed through the hallway towards her white room, and shadow fell across its entrance door, one that was larger than her own, and a great hand fell upon her shoulder.

As the girl gasped in disbelief, she was yanked backwards so that all the supplies in her arms spilled out onto the floor before her. When she looked into the beady eyes of her attacker and noticed his uniform, she realized that it was a policeman. The floorboards from the room below their feet echoed, and voices called up the stairs as Naminé looked anywhere but the man in front of her. "You're coming with me young lady," he hissed, ignoring the supplies that were scattered across the floor. In an attempt to escape, Naminé screamed and clawed at the agent's face, lashing out with ferocity, but the man that held her was too strong. Several other policemen filed in soon after and assisted the man in pinning Naminé to the ground, where she writhed and screeched, her hair fluttering around her shoulders like wings. "If you assault a police officer you will be reprimanded!" another officer shouted in her ear, grabbing her face in his hands and shaking it to make her look at him. At this point, Naminé ceased her struggle and gave up, panting and crying with great heaves of her small abdomen.

"What is it that you want from me?" she sobbed, but the policemen ignored her, instead hoisting her up and leading her outside. "I don't want to go back to him!" cried Naminé in a hysteric screech as she was put inside a police car. She banged her fists against the glass windows on the inside of the car as the policemen walked away from her, but none listened. A few feet away, four of them stopped and talked, while one wiped at their lip. Naminé could not see if she'd drawn blood or not. But soon the conversation broke up, and two of them returned to the police car holding Naminé, who had curled up on the side of the backseat, sore from a migraine. She stared straight into the leather of the passenger seat as it buckled with the weight of the policeman entering it, and ignored the agents' conversation as the car started and pulled away from her old home.

Ten minutes later, the vehicle stopped again and the backseat door was opened. Here, the two policemen who had accompanied Naminé pulled her out of the car and towards the Twilight Town Jail Precinct, where she was locked in a separate holding cell from other arrestees. Left on her own, she curled into a ball and held her head between her arms so that she could fall asleep warm.

An hour into her stay, Naminé's cell door was opened and Roxas entered, followed by Xion. His expression was one of heartbreak, while Xion stared dead ahead, towards the small barred window high above Naminé's bed. After five minutes of silence, Xion's refusal to look at the people around her ebbed, and she stole a glance at Naminé, who met her eyes. Then, slowly, she stepped towards Naminé's wire cot and knelt down beside her, entwining their hands and squeezing Naminé's palms in her own. But the dark haired girl did not smile.

"Do you know why Xehanort was there?" Xion asked, but Naminé shook her head. To this Xion was silent. But, after a moment's thought, she nodded and looked up at Roxas. "Xehanort hates me," stated the dark haired girl flatly. "So does Xemnas. They think I'm an idiot," then she glanced back at Naminé with fierce eyes. "But I'm not. So don't worry about me." Then, her eyes clouded as she added, "You should have run faster instead of stopping to collect my things," to which Naminé shot back, "are you excited about Marluxia?" with surprising vehemence. Though Xion was shocked into silence at the outburst, Roxas whined quietly to the side, shuffling his feet as he stared at the ground. But soon, Xion regrouped with a shrug. "Somehow I think they've got different plans for us."

The reassurance was interrupted when an officer knocked on their cell bars, so that Xion turned around and looked up at him. "Time to go," the man mumbled, and Xion nodded and stood, exiting the cell before giving a short wave to Naminé. Then, she and Roxas left the room, their hands entwined with tight fingers. When their footsteps died as they left the hallway outside the cell, Naminé remembered with sadness what King Mickey had said in the garden. _"You've got to be brave, or everything will go wrong!"_

Feeling weak, Naminé curled her knees up under her chin. Bravery was difficult.

...

The clock chimed three in meeting room 233 of Disney Castle, where Xehanort and Mr. Silver sat across from Marluxia, his lawyer, and Roxas, who fidgeted in his seat, knowing he had no chance. Mr. Silver stared at Marluxia's lawyer in amusement as the man looked aside in deep thought, pressing his hand to his temple.

Soon, the current party's observations were interrupted when the latch on the room's entrance door clicked and opened to reveal the judge, followed by Naminé, Xion, their lawyer, and two police escorts. The three meeting participants sat down at the head of the long table set out for everyone, while the police escorts stood outside the door. Various refreshments had been arranged at the table's center, but no one touched them.

"Well, shall we begin?" the judge asked, and everyone leaned forward in anticipation as the man in question slipped his files from the manila folder under his arms and reading through them in silence. When he came across the last paragraph of his current page, he chuckled and glanced up at Xehanort. "Such a might interest," elaborated the man.

To this Xehanort smiled but did not respond, instead closing his eyes and gripping his cane. Silence pervaded the room once more until the judge held out his arms and directed his attention to his audience. "Who are the candidates?" he asked, and Xehanort, Roxas, and Marluxia all raised their hands.

"And who are their representation?" The lawyers present, and Roxas, raised their hands, and the judge nodded. "And the adoptees?" Naminé and Xion sat unmoving. "Representation?" Their lawyer raised his hand.

"All present and accounted for?" the judge asked. Everyone nodded. "Right, we are in session," He muttered, thudding his gavel on the small sounding block laid at his right side. Then he looked up at everyone, before his gaze landed on Xehanort and his hand pointed in the old man's direction. "Xehanort, what is your reason for adopting these girls?"

"Dr. Xehanort is solely interested in Naminé," Mr. Silver corrected. "He was not aware till recently that there were two adoptees, and because of the dealings his son has had with the girl Xion, Dr. Xehanort's judgment of her character has been disrupted."

"Naminé worked for Ansem," Roxas spat, and Xehanort glanced at him with a nod. "A good friend of mine and a respected former board member."

Roxas sat back in disgust, folding his shaking arms in front of him. As the judge resumed speaking, Xehanort continued to stare at the boy with narrowed eyes, broken only when the judge addressed him once more. In this case, he closed his eyes slowly, before they rose into open slits, which centered on the judge's throat as it trembled with speech.

"Why are you interested in Naminé, Xehanort?"

"Dr. Xehanort is interested in the girl because he heard about her ill fortune through the news," Mr. Silver interjected. "With the joyous release of his son from wrongful incarceration, Dr. Xehanort would like to return his thanks to the community by helping a member of a party who originally rejected him- that party being Ansem."

"Can't he talk for himself?" Marluxia's lawyer asked, pointing to Xehanort, whose eyes widened as he gripped his cane and leaned forward. "Mr. Silver put it beautifully," the old man chuckled, eyeing Roxas with a nod of his head. "I respected Ansem, though he did not return such a favor," then he addressed Marluxia's lawyer, the gravel of his throat ticking like marbles. "I am indebted to the state for my son. This is my repayment to the people who have cared so deeply for me- and for science," he added, indicating Naminé with a smile. "Be proud of where you came from, Naminé. Ansem was important to us all."

In confusion Naminé stared at him as he returned his glance to the judge. But Xion kept her vision trained out the window, overtaken by her own thoughts, which blinded her to Roxas' looks of desperation.

"What are your qualifications?" the judge asked Xehanort, who pointed to Mr. Silver, who distributed the information before the judge. "My client is wholly financially capable of caring for the girl, whom he would like to place in a master suite at L'Académie Pour Les Petite Débutantes."

As this was said, Naminé's head shot up in shock and she swayed to the side, clinging to her chair. Xehanort watched her. "You do not like that idea?" he asked. Naminé looked up at him in surprise, but shook her head. "I hate that place," she gulped and Xehanort nodded. "We will make different arrangements, then."

The judge beamed at the sudden show of kindness, and handed Xehanort's papers back. "Marluxia, what is your reason for adopting Naminé?"

Marluxia chose to speak for himself, grinning at Naminé with dark eyes. "Well, I was her guardian previously and I want to continue to care for her. I know her like the back of my hand. Think of it as tearing a father away from the girl he raised. It's wrong."

Mr. Silver snorted, interjecting, "If his idea of a father daughter relationship was keeping Naminé cooped up in Castle Oblivion while he attempted to kidnap the Investigation Bureau Director's son, I'd hate to see what he does to her now. He's had rape charges filed against him previously," added the man in an offhand sort of way, but the judge gaped as he stared from Marluxia to his lawyer, who blushed in anger while Marluxia stared forth in shock. "Where did you find that information?" Marluxia's lawyer snapped, and Mr. Silver handed the paperwork to the judge. "Old clients, friends, former girlfriends and boyfriends."

As the judge looked over the paperwork he nodded through furrowed brows. "But these charges were never capitalized upon," then he raised his eyes to meet Marluxia's once more. "What are your credentials for looking after the girls?"

It was now Marluxia's lawyers' turn to hand his files to the judge, who looked over them and nodded again. Then, he set the papers down in front of him and turned to Roxas, who sat up stock straight, eagerly waiting his turn. The boy's palms trembled as he held his little file of paperwork, but while Mr. Silver chuckled at him, Roxas ignored the man. "What have you got, son?" the judge asked, pity creeping into his voice, but Roxas handed him the file and stood tall. Xion looked embarrassed.

"I would like to adopt Xion. I am of age and she likes me better than any of the men here, better than a lot of people," said Roxas, trying to control the hoarseness of his voice. "I have a job and am committed to her safety and education and will find a way to pay for her schooling."

"He's just a boy himself," Mr. Silver lamented, and Roxas glared at him. As the judge beckoned for the boy to be seated, Roxas hesitated, but soon gave in and sat down. More minutes passed as the judge continued perusing his information, before he turned to Xehanort with a wide grin.

"Well, sir, there is no doubt that you are the first candidate. Marluxia is the second candidate, and Roxas is the third candidate," Roxas' shoulders fell and Marluxia fumed silently as the judge indicated the candidate's one by one. But when the old justice asked, "Who do you want?" Xehanort pointed to Naminé. With a clap of his hands, the judge acquiesced, and turned to Naminé for her approval. "Naminé," he asked with a warm smile, "do you agree?"

There was a moment of pause as Naminé opened and closed her mouth, lost for words. But before she could look to Xion for help in her decision, Xehanort raised his hand to make a statement, and then turned to Naminé with a soft glance. "I was alone as a boy myself," the man murmured, looking into Naminé's wide eyes with strange warmth. "I understand that you do not trust me after my involvement of the conviction of your friend, Axel. But he is not what he seems, and I have known him longer than you. Please believe me."

As this was said Naminé became scared, not knowing what to do. With a pleaded glance she looked at Roxas, who averted his gaze. It was then that Naminé realized Roxas did not want her. It would have to be Marluxia or Xehanort. Then Naminé's mind flashed back to the way Axel had treated her the last time she'd seen him. The way he had hulked above her, the glance of disgust he had given her, and she clenched her hands into fists as she responded with cool inflection, "I do". To this, Xehanort smiled at her and closed his eyes, while Marluxia breathed out in anguish, as the judge turned to him next.

"Marluxia, the second adoptee is still here," the man allayed, pointing to Xion. "Do you agree or dissent to her care?"

In shock Xion's eyes darted from Roxas to Marluxia in confusion as the pink haired man stared over at her with narrowed eyes, examining her. Xion averted his gaze deliberately and refused to meet his eye, so that Marluxia glanced over at Naminé instead. As the pale blonde glanced away in anguish, Marluxia smiled and turned to face the judge again. "How could I abandon a friend of my dear Naminé?"

"I forbid the adoption," Xion interjected, folding her arms in front of her. "I am fourteen. I make this decision."

Marluxia frowned and the judge rubbed his eyes. "Then you will be transferred to a state orphanage," he sighed. In reply, Marluxia's lawyer interjected, "She has run away from a number of state institutions she has lived in."

"Send her to L'Académie," Marluxia drawled, to which Xehanort nodded in agreement, adding, "An excellent institution."

"Naminé didn't like it," Roxas snapped. "She was in trouble quite a bit, lad," Xehanort replied, staring at Roxas again, but this time with the same narrowed slit of eyes that glowed a deep yellow from within. To stop from trembling, Roxas gritted his teeth and flexed his arms as the hairs of his skin stood on end. Then, the old key blade master's slitted pupils directed themselves to Xion's bright ultramarines, which glanced towards the window once more as Xehanort's yellow eyes bored into her back. Watching the interaction with amused curiosity, Marluxia addressed Xion further, calling her name and watching as she sat up straighter, defiant but listening.

"Do you want to go to a different country, Xion?" the pink haired man asked in a soft voice. "Thrown into an institution that will only feed your loneliness and reprimand you for misbehavior?" Then he grinned. "Or would you like to stay near Roxas and your friends?" When Xion glanced at Roxas, his sad smile made her gut wrench with indecision. As her mind drew back and forth in confusion, she opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak.

"She must be monitored while in L'Académie," Marluxia's lawyer tried. At this Xion's grip on the chair tightened, and her mouth clamped shut. But before anyone could say another word, she coughed, commenting with diffidence, "perhaps it would be best to stay home." As she spoke, Xehanort narrowed his eyes at her, but when she glanced at Roxas, he gulped in anxiety. "I can't bear to be torn from my friends again," she added, glancing at Xehanort, who chuckled. The judge stared from one candidate to the next and shrugged his shoulders, holding his hands to either side of his chest as he asked, "So, Xion, do you agree to Marluxia?" With a shrug Xion responded yes, and the judge banged his gavel once more. But as the assembly of the room prepared to stand, Roxas jumped up with mouth agape.

"Is that all?" he barked. "I can't argue my point?" added Roxas with wide eyes, but the judge responded with a shake of his head. "No, son, it has been decided. Naminé will go with Xehanort, and Xion will go with Marluxia."

To this Roxas gulped and nodded, sitting down and clasping his hands together to keep from pacing. The adoption contracts were set in front of the different parties, and as Mr. Silver and Marluxia's lawyer signed paperwork, Xehanort and Marluxia signed, too. Naminé and Xion were last. They both walked up to the two individual sets of papers at the same time, but as they reached for pens to write with, Naminé's hand brushed off of Xion's.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Naminé murmured with an absent mind, but stopped mid sentence when she saw the look on Xion's face. Her old friend stared back at her with a grimace, before looking away and scribbling her signature on her paperwork. Then, Marluxia gripped her shoulder with a firm hand, getting a feel for it. "I will look after you," he assured, no hint of an ulterior motive in his voice. A hopeful glint played through Xion's eyes as she turned and left the room with her new guardian. Like a lost dog Roxas tagged along after them, lolloping out of the room and down the hall when his companion left him. "Hey, Xion, at least you'll be staying here!" Naminé heard Roxas whispering, but Xion did not respond. As Naminé stared after the party in shock, Xehanort patted her shoulder, and she looked up at him as he addressed her.

"You must pack your bags and prepare to come to my home tomorrow," murmured Xehanort with a cool grin. "The next day you shall accompany me to Midgar and we will discuss where you will go next."

Though Naminé nodded and followed her new benefactor without question, Xion's expression would not give her piece of mind. To Naminé, it had seemed a look of disgust, the way a prisoner would look at their betrayer. "_You are a traitor,"_ Xion hissed inside Naminé's head, warping itself into a monster she was not. And as Naminé was lead out of Disney Castle, she held her hands over her face in shame, while her party descended the strain of steps leading out onto the streets of Disney Town. While Naminé led the way forward, and as Xehanort and Mr. Silver spoke behind her, the feeling that had plagued Naminé for most of her life, and especially when she had lived alongside Ansem, returned. It was invisibility.


	12. Memories of A Young Girl

As Naminé's mother prepared for her performance, Naminé sat on the floor of the dressing room, singing softly. But once the woman finished applying one last round of blush, she sighed and turned to her daughter with a grand smile, meeting the little girl's bright eyes. Then, the woman hoisted the little girl into the chair she had been sitting in herself, and turned her towards the mirror.

"See that little girl?" The woman sang in soft soprano, and Naminé widened her eyes as she examined her reflection.

"She's going to be in one of my operas one day. A beautiful peasant who becomes a queen. And she'll marry prince charming, just like her mother," cooed the woman, and Naminé looked up at her in awe as she fixed her hair. The woman at her side was beautiful, with sparkling pearls in her ears and around her neck. Her body was clothed in a long, flowing yellow dress, soft buttercup tresses wafting around her feet.

"When will I be the princess?" Naminé asked, with a slight lisp, and her mother laughed, "When you learn to talk like one," in return, adding, "Have you been practicing your words?"

In response Namine nodded with vigor, sucking in a deep breath before she bellowed, "The fox rrrrrrrran down to the brrrrrrrrrrook, and went thrrrrrrrrrough the ssssssssssssssthwamp…" on the last word Namine faltered, and bent her head in embarrassment. "I lithped," she said through tears, but her mother patted the top of her head with affection. "It's alright dear," she murmured, breaking away from her daughter and stepping into the center of the room. "You have a lot of time to practice." Then, she took a deep breath and began her vocal warm-up.

But as the performer reached her syllabic exercises, there came a commotion outside the room, which made the woman's limbs go taught as she listened. Yet when the cacophony drew nearer to the dressing chamber, the woman at its center stopped listening and shooed Naminé towards the costume closet, where the little girl scurried and hid inside. Just as her mother regained her composure, two guests barged inside the door, a man and a woman, and Naminé had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping. The lady at the door was the image of her mother.

"Maria!" The stranger said with urgency, "You cannot do the opera! You have to back down tonight!"

But Maria folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "Why should I? Until I get a signed paper from the government, I won't even think about _not _going onstage!" she drawled, adding, "Who are you all anyway, that you think you have the right to barge in on me like this?" with affected indignation.

The woman ahead gave a heavy sigh and moved aside so that her companion could step forward. "We may as well be honest with you," he barked, "Someone is trying to kidnap you!" But in reply, Maria shrugged, muttering, "Well, it wouldn't have been the first time."

"Let's put it this way," the intruding woman said through gritted teeth. "People have only tried before. This guy will actually _do _it." Maria looked at the woman closely, but then shook her head. "I cannot abandon my art, especially not with a full house waiting for my voice. I could never do that. I am sorry." With that, she returned to her mirror to retrieve her props for the show, while her audience of two stood with furrowed brows, thinking of what to say next. The man scratched his head, and then snapped his fingers together, pointing to his companion with bright eyes. "Celes!" He gasped, "You could be her!"

Celes responded with a dumbfounded expression. "What?" she mumbled, and the man sighed. "You look just like her! You sing well! We could do it! This could get us closer to Setzer!" he added in a whisper, so that Celes pursed her lips. "I don't know." She murmured, but the man implored her until she gave in. "Fine!" she snapped, and stood before Maria with outstretched arms. "May I?" she asked, and her male companion turned away as the women changed clothes. As if in a trance, Maria helped Celes with her hair and makeup without a single cry of protest, until the women's resemblance was indisputable. When her male companion was given leave to open his eyes, he gasped at what he saw, grinning as he murmured, "you look beautiful," which incited a smile from Celes. Before the two left, they clasped their hands around those of Maria and told her to trust them. Then, the two disappeared towards the stage, and a few minutes later there was enormous applause.

As the realization of what she had just done overtook Maria, she gave a cry of anguish and collapsed near her lighted mirror, draping her arms around her chair in dramatic fashion. As the woman sobbed, her daughter crawled out from the costume closed and into her lap, stroking her mother's hair and kissing her cheek until Maria sang to her. "Don't be sad momma," whispered Naminé, her lisp still invading her words in soft hisses, and her mother nodded as she rocked her back and forth. "I don't know what I've done, why I believed them," the woman murmured, sniffing and rubbing her temple. "I hope they do it right, the way it was meant to be done," she added in a whisper, and then, the two sat in silence for a while as Naminé's mother rested her eyes. When another commotion ruled the hallway outside their door, Naminé's mother's eyes flew open and she stood, listening for a few minutes until she could take it no more. As Maria's curiosity got the better of her, she lunged for her robe, pulled it on, and ran out the door, shooing Naminé back into her hiding place as she went. When her mother returned to the room, she was sobbing between wild gusts of breath, followed by her befuddled attendant.

As Maria howled into the woman's chest, her attendant sat her down on her chair and patted her face clean with a cold wet cloth. Though Naminé wanted very badly to embrace her mother, she knew that she was not allowed outside. Otherwise, their secret would be found out.

"They destroyed it!" Maria cried with outstretched arms, and her attendant tried to fix her hair. "Well the audience had a grand old time, Miss Maria. They thought it was riveting," explained the attendant with wide, bright eyes, which became clouded as her brows furrowed with worry. "I just hope that poor girl was alright. That could have been you, you know."

As the women interacted further, another knock descended against the door and Maria gasped, grabbing the little hanky the attendant was using and dabbing it at her own mascara stained eyes, in an attempt to make herself presentable. When she was prepared, Maria called 'come in', and stood as her chamber door opened. Inside walked a bent, but domineering man, with a middle aged, solemn but beautiful woman. The couple was not a happy one, but they held hands and smiled at one other, until the man broke hold of his companion's palm and bowed deeply before Maria. When he straightened, his glowing yellow eyes crinkled with a smile as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Your opera today was… interesting," murmured the man in a low, gravelly tone, and Maria blushed. "It isn't usually that eccentric, but we decided to pull out all the stops today," she gushed. In response the man chuckled and returned his hand to his companion's, who stood in silence beside him, her small eyes to the ground. Maria watched her as she held still, but the woman would not return her gaze, instead keeping her eyes trained on her feet. A low, throaty hum redirected Maria's gaze, and as she realized that it had come from the voice box of the bent man, whose yellow eyes moved from one end of the room to the other, she followed his gaze until it fell around the closet corner, where Naminé hid. Stepping forward, the man let go of his female companion's hand and held his forefinger up, his eyes narrowing to slits as he turned back to Maria. "There is a light in this room," he murmured, and from inside the costume closet Naminé heard her mother's tinkling laughter ascend throughout the chamber.

"I'm not sure what you mean sir," Naminé's mother responded, smiling at the man's companion, who had raised her eyes in the direction of the opera singer. "Of course there is light! It is needed for the makeup station."

As his lady bent her head again, avoiding Maria's glance, the man shook his head, and proceeded to step further towards the center of the room, with flared nostrils and slit pupils. "It is a gentle light, one that is strong but soft," he murmured, adding, "and different," with clenched teeth. Maria tried not to roll her eyes. "You're a poet!" she tried, but the man looked towards her in surprise, before laughing.

"Oh no. I didn't mean light as in electromagnetic radiation," explained the bent man, smoothing his bald head with the back of his hand. "I am speaking of something very different. I have been experimenting on a certain chemical substances of opposite properties for a while now. Working around the substance for so long has made me sensitive to its change in the environment. Maybe you are that change," he added, and Maria blushed again. "I don't know any better than to be flattered!" she tittered with laughter, but the man in front of her gave a wry smile.

"You have a good heart." He muttered in masked distaste, and Maria laughed again. Then, the man coughed, and held his hand towards the woman standing behind him in presentation. "My wife," he announced, and the woman stepped forth and took his left hand, curtseying for Maria with a gentle smile. She wore a deep green dress, and her long, dyed brown hair hung loosely and beautifully over her shoulders. Maria smiled at her, relieved that she would finally speak. "Are you here with the family, or just on your own?" She said to both of them, but as the green dressed woman began to open her mouth, her husband answered for her, "it's just the two of us."

"What brought you around here?" Maria gushed, addressing the woman directly. "Any sisters or brothers in the area?" But the woman shook her head and smiled again. "No," she murmured in a gentle voice. "My sisters live far away. This was a treat for us. To get away for a little while," she added, stroking her husband's hands, but the man pursed his lips into an odd grin, which disappeared as he glanced about the room once more.

"You're probably the prettiest out of all of your sisters aren't you?" Maria whispered, and the woman's smile became genuine as she closed her eyes and chuckled. "I'm no prettier than any woman in the world," she concluded, and Maria laughed again, taking the woman's hand in her own. "Well you are lovely! And sometimes getting out on your own is necessary," murmured Maria with a wink, adding louder, "I hope you both have a grand adventure during your time here!" To this, the bent man snapped his fingers, and his wife curtseyed before Maria once more. But once she returned to her husband's side, he whispered in her ear, and she nodded and left the room, waving to Maria as she went. When Maria and the bend, bald man were alone, he addressed her directly, with arms folded behind his back.

"Is there another person in this room?" he asked, and Maria's hands clenched into fists, though she responded a hearty no. "But my assistant is just in the hall," she added in light warning, making the man ahead of her chuckle. There was momentary silence as Maria watched the man ahead, but he simply paced about, glancing at the design of the dressing room walls, nodding to himself. Then, he asked, "how is the theatre dealing with its decrease in benefactors?" To this Maria rolled her eyes and relaxed. "After Kefka the _clown_ quits his stupidity, human ingenuity will be appreciated once more," she said in defiance, making the man before her chuckle once more.

"You'd want to be careful what you say these days," he murmured. Gravel crunched as he spoke. "I hear that your government is growing less and less accommodating as each week passes."

But Maria stood tall and proud. "As I said, I do not worry," she beamed. "Our government subsidizes our performances very well, and I am a star. A people would not forget their culture, their art."

In response the man chortled, before looking around the room once more and bowing. "Please excuse my wife and I's intrusion. We are great fans of this institution, and hope to see it prosper even through the war." Then, he was gone before Maria could protest. The moment Naminé's mother sat back in her chair and put her head in her hands, Naminé crawled from her hiding place and rubbed Maria's leg, looking up at the woman in earnest.

"Are you sad?" she asked, but her mother sighed and shook her head. "I just become despondent at times, darling," she murmured, smoothing her hair and smiling at her daughter. "Are you ready to go home, cherub?" cooed Naminé's mother, kissing the girl on the forehead, and the little one nodded with vigor. "Then let's go!" Maria hissed with glee, and in between giggles and notes of song, they clothed themselves in their dresses and coats and charged out the back door. There, they jumped into a small car that waited for them in the alley behind the theater and whizzed off before any soul could see them go.

…

**2 Years Later**

Naminé shuffled in front of her mother's gravestone with tears in her eyes as the sky churned black above her. The man standing behind her looked into the sky aimlessly, his brows furrowing as a green jet passed overhead, whizzing in the direction of the sea. Then, as if on a whim, he grabbed Naminé by the arm and hauled her away from her mother's land.

"No!" the girl tried to shout, clawing at the little grey stone in front of her, but the man coiled one arm around her belly and slapped her wrists with the other, until she cried in silence, limp as he hauled her out of the graveyard gates. "Walk by yourself!" the man finally hollered in aggravation, but Naminé continued hanging limp as a ragdoll. With gritted teeth, the man grabbed her by the hair and wrenched her forward, until their eyes were inches apart.

"You want to be a doll?" he growled, making Naminé cower in fear. "I'll drag you like one!" he added in a hiss, and pulled Naminé by her hair as he trudged forward, forcing her to run along behind him to escape her locks being ripped from her scalp. The pair carried on in this way until they reached their apartment, which stood awkwardly to the side of the remains of a clothing store that had been bombed during the Reign of Kefka. As the pair passed the bombing site, which was now closed in by a chain link fence, due to a sinkhole that had formed at its center, Naminé's companion spit inside its wire braids. Then, he turned his head forward and ascended the steps to their apartment door, where he extracted his keys and let the two inside, shoving Naminé ahead of him so that she tripped and fell. Without looking at her the man walked past her and sat at their small kitchen table, groaning and rubbing his face with his hands. Not five minutes had he seated himself, when a knock descended against the front door. When Naminé scuttled towards the keyhole in curiosity, the man barked at her to ignore it, so she sat in front of the door and played with dust bunnies instead.

Five minutes later, the rapping on the door became unbearable, and Naminé wrung her toes in her shoes. Then, a voice screamed from outside the porch, "open this door or I'll call the police and have you forced out. I'm giving you to the count of five." As the countdown began, Naminé's guardian banged his fists on the table with a snarl and jumped up, stomping to the door and opening it on the count of one. Greeting him was the landlord, a small balding black haired man, who adjusted his bottle cap glasses in discomfort. The tattoos on his fingers writhed above the tendons beneath his skin as he stretched his fingers. Then he set his hands at his sides and addressed the man inside the house with a deep frown.

"Your rent has been up for three weeks now, Draco. You will be evicted in one, no questions asked," he added. "Just give me an extra week, I just got fired," interjected Draco, but the landlord shook his head. When Naminé peeped out from between Draco's knees to see what was going on, the man scooped her up in his arms and smiled at her, putting on a pitying sigh as he murmured, "we've only got one week left, honey, until we're out on the streets. I'll have to send you to work some way," he added, and Naminé thought his eyes looked like two ugly black marbles, the way they shone at her in false sadness. But the landlord scoffed at the show and waved Draco off. "You shouldn't have had the kid," the man mocked, and trudged down the doorsteps towards his own apartment, leaving Draco to fume on the front step.

For a short length of time the blond man clutched Naminé in his arms. But the second the landlord shut the door to his apartment across the street, Draco let Naminé drop and trudged back into the kitchen, letting her close and lock the front door herself. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, the little girl chanced a poke at the man's leg, which kicked her in one savage movement, making her cry out in fright. Then she wailed under the table, only adding to the irritation of the man sitting above her. When he could take no more, Draco reached under the table and grabbed Naminé by her hair again, sliding her to his side and hoisting her up by the scruff of her neck so that he could look at her. For good measure, he shook her, and as her body jolted back and forth at his hands, she scrunched her eyes shut and folded in on herself, falling silent as a mouse. When she was let go, Naminé dropped to the floor and scurried under the sink, peeping out at Draco from the cupboard door as he sat and closed his eyes in internal agony. A terrible quiet descended against the two of them as they stared their own separate ways, and the gloss of nostalgia overtook Draco enough for him to chuckle. Then, he turned to face Naminé, and smiled.

"You know, the first time your mother and I met was on the set of _Maria and Draco," _he murmured, clapping his hands together. " 'The two famous opera personalities, together at last', was what they advertised. It was love at first sight." With wetted lips and softened eyes, he continued, "but after she had you, we got nervous. You were a big secret before. But, no one cares anymore. We've all outlived our time in the limelight..." muttered the man as an afterthought, shrugging as his eyes became red. But he wiped at them as one picking out sleepy seeds, with a nonchalance that betrayed routine. "I guess it was my fault we had that falling out after the opera house closed," he added, snorting mucus farther up his nose. "But if I had have known she was fucking for money, I would have been able to help her. But what could I have done?" he asked, biting his nails. "I was only made for one thing." Silence fell deeper around him as he picked at the skin surrounding his nails, chewing it in thought and spitting it out in Naminé's direction. But as he dug at his skin enough so that it bled, Draco grew angry, and beat his fist on the table in front of him, before raising his palm to his hair and running his fingers through his blond locks. Then he returned his gaze to his daughter.

"You know, if it hadn't have been for you," he started, pointing at Naminé with narrowed eyes. But he did not have the heart to continue, instead choosing to resume biting his nails and ignore her as she stared at him. As he sank into reverie, his eyes widened in revelation, and he turned to his girl with an excited grin, beckoning for her to come towards him. "Naminé," he whispered like a mischievous child, and the little girl crawled towards him in fear. But when she grew close enough, he scooped her up in his arms and caressed her, standing and swinging her around as he serenaded her in a strong tenor. At first, Naminé was too afraid to move. But as she watched her father's bright eyes and listened to his voice, her limbs softened and she turned into a little doll again, giggling in mad fits as she was swung limply about, her head falling back, watching the kitchen as it whizzed around and around, upside down. Then he charged with her into the living room, where she was let down to the ground, and in a burst of ecstatic energy she began to dance about, throwing her hands above her head and waving them as she twirled. Her father clapped as she did so, before picking her up one more time and holding her above his head. But as Naminé stared into his eyes again, her giggling subsided. On his face was an expression of loneliness, of fear, and of regret.

"Remember this moment," he murmured to her with an anxious grin. "Remember when I treated you right." Then, he let Naminé down and hunted around in his pockets for money, setting the crumpled bills in the palm of her hand as he ruffled her hair. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked.

"Soda and ice cream," Naminé chanced in response, and her father chuckled in return, and nodded. "Well go get us some dinner," murmured the man in addition, and Naminé beamed with excitement.

The front door was unlocked and flung open as Naminé charged down the front steps towards the grocery street, filled with vendors selling hundreds of specific foods. As she dodged past fish wagons and vegetable tables, the forlorn little ice cream and soda stand came into view, blaring music from a gramophone cranked constantly by the old owner, who sighed in despondence as people passed him by. During and after the war, soda and ice cream had not sold well. Now, the charge for the articles was a mere one gil per five ounces, and Naminé had ten gils trapped in her fingers, ready to be traded. When she hopped before the ice cream vendor, he nodded his head to her and asked what she wanted.

"Strawberry and vanilla," Naminé said with a toothless grin, but the man shook his head. "Strawberry's gone, only vanilla and chocolate." To this, Naminé frowned, but responded that she'd like two vanillas. "How large?" the man asked, and Naminé shrugged, setting the ten gil before the man's outstretched arms. With a gaping mouth the vendor took in the money, but his face soon brightened as he gave the girl two big tubs and added in two sodas for free. In excitement, Naminé danced again, and the ice cream vendor clapped for her and cranked the gramophone faster, until Naminé got so dizzy from twirling fast she had to use the legs of the table it sat on for support. After this, she said goodbye and skipped home, singing loudly along the way.

When she reached her apartment, she was surprised to discover that Draco had left the door open for her. Uneasy, she called inside before she entered, but when she received no response, she tiptoed within, closed, and locked the front door. Then she set the food in the fridge and poked around every room in the house, failing to find any human being inhabiting them, although the drawers in Draco's room had been opened and emptied, and his guitar was gone.

For the first night, she drank half of her soda and a small cup of ice cream. On the second night, quite hungry, she drank the rest of her soda and the rest of one of the tubs of ice cream, waiting in earnest for Draco to come home and eat his share. When he did not return the next night, Naminé ate the rest of the ice cream and soda, groaning in displeasure as she tried to fall asleep. The next morning she woke up with a stomachache, which only became worse on the fifth night. On the sixth morning, the landlord came to the house again, banging on the door. At first Naminé would not respond, but when the man said he would call the police, she did what her father had done and opened the door. When the landlord asked where her father was, Naminé threw up bile and tumbled over against his feet, unconscious. She awakened in the kitchen of the landlord's home and was fed by his wife. But the next day, she was converted to a small orphanage in the neighboring village, Jazzo.

….

Jolting Naminé from her memories was the sound of wood rapping against her desk, but when she lifted her head in the direction of the sound, she met eyes with her math professor, Mr. Frank. "Naughty, naughty." He sighed with grandiose, and pointed to the front of the classroom. Lowering her head, Naminé stood and trudged to the chalkboard, staring at her polished shoes as they moved forward, one by one.

"Remember if you show any emotion it will only last longer." The professor drawled, as he located a harder wooden ruler from his desk. It was the notorious splintered one.

"Turn around and bend over." The man murmured, and Naminé gulped back her feelings, turning to face the chalkboard as she bent at her waist. Then, the man wrapped her hard on the tops of her thighs, until Naminé had to bite her lip to keep the tears away. When the man reached thirty warps, he turned Naminé back around and examined her eyes, which were red but defiant. Then, with a tut, he turned her around and wrapped her thighs another thirty times.

"You may sit down," he sighed when he was finished. "And I implore you not to fall asleep in my class anymore, or we will have to see about putting you in the thinking box again." The thinking box was an old, damp little cellar that lied deep beneath the school, about the size of a supply closet. Misbehaved girls spent one night there per severity of insolence. For singing in the shower the previous morning, Naminé had been allotted one night in the coffin. Unable to sleep that night, the next day of class was a nightmare of drowsiness, where she fell in and out of reality, much to the disgust of her professors.

Deeply tired and lost of thought, Naminé glared up at Mr. Franks, who held her chin in his hand with a fond caress, before he broke hold of her. "Go to the headmistress," he breathed, adding, "and I'll see you after class." To this Naminé gulped and limped out of the room, her thighs stinging from the ruler. When she entered the headmistress' office, she sat down gingerly on the wooden chair before the woman's desk, in wait of being reprimanded. But the woman stared at her for a clean two minutes, polishing the name holder on her desk, before she chose to speak.

"Mr. Franks did not choose to save you this time, Naminé," she began, replacing the pens on her desk so that they sat exactly parallel to one another. The name holder was placed adjacent to the pens, at the front of the desk. Naminé watched the woman's long, spindly fingers as they worked, in silence. "I remember when you came here at the age of nine because of your exceptional perception and intelligence. I felt personally sorry for you due to the civil war ravaging your country," she added with a half grin, tapping the pen she held in her fingers against the desk in front of her. "But it has been two years, and despite whipping, closeting, and reprimanding, you continue to cause trouble." As the headmistress spoke, Naminé ignored her. The view of Eden was the best from the headmistress's windows, because they were not tinted with grey.

"And if you do not look at me I will slap you again," the headmistress added with a hiss. When Naminé responded with glazed eyes, the headmistress hurried to her side and grabbed the girl's chin in her hands. Then, the woman searched the depths of Naminé's irises as the young girl cowered in fear, raising her left hand to gauge her student's reaction. When Naminé shut her eyes in anticipation, the woman slapped her hard and recomposed herself, smoothing the front of her shirt and asking for an apology. Naminé stared at her in incredulity, but the headmistress stood in front of her in silence, waiting. Then the woman's eyes narrowed with vehemence. "You are twelve years old now. Next year you will graduate, and then you will leave," hissed the headmistress. "Now apologize for the grief you have caused me these two years." Contrary to the headmistress's wishes, Naminé held off her apology by two minutes, counting the seconds in her head in silent rebellion. When Naminé reached a minute and thirty seconds in her mind, the headmistress's anger grew to a boiling point, and Naminé yelped as the woman picked up the name holder in her left hand and slammed it across the right side of Naminé's head. The girl was sent reeling from her chair in shock as the headmistress stepped over her in a rage, holding the metal object high above her head.

"I'm sorry!" cried Naminé, shielding her face with her hands. For a moment the woman stayed above Naminé. But after throwing the name holder against the little girl's arm, the headmistress backed behind her desk and adjusted her skirt again, this time with a long sigh.

"Get out of my office," she muttered. "If you come in here again, you will never leave this building," she added. In response Naminé gave a short bow and scurried from the room as fast as she could, limping back down the hallway towards her bedroom. When she got inside, she searched under her mattress for the old milk aloe leaves that soothed broken skin. The plant had grown outside her old orphanage in Jazzo, and whenever the children were slapped for misbehaving, they rubbed the leaves against their skin to stop it from blistering. This time, though, Naminé hauled a small basin into the bathroom and poured heated water inside it. One by one, she threw the aloe leaves against its surface and watched as they melted under the steam. When she was certain it was okay to get in, Naminé lowered herself under the water and sighed in relief when the liquid touched her scorched thighs. When she rubbed some of the water on her cheek and head, the stinging left by the headmistress's name holder subsided.

After finishing her bath Naminé emptied the water and retrieved her clothing, throwing on her evening wear as she left her bedroom and wandered down the hall. In thirty minutes she would have to visit Mr. Frank in his office. As she tiptoed down the halls, Naminé glanced at the view of the city out of their windows. But when she stepped closer to the one that overlooked the Eden zoo, she heard a chuckle behind her, which made her turn in fright. Ahead of her stood Mr. Frank.

"What are you doing up here during dinner, Naminé?" asked the man. Naminé shrugged in return and the man chuckled again. Then, with a slight grin, he beckoned for her to accompany him to her office. When Naminé did not follow him immediately, he turned and raised his eyebrows at her, willing her to follow him. So she did.

Mr. Frank held the classroom door open as Naminé walked into the room's center, where she stood in discomfort, staring back at her teacher with wide, blank eyes. Though Mr. Frank returned her gaze, his look was relaxed, lubricated with thought. For a long moment, he stared into her eyes as if searching them, while Naminé glazed them over as she disappeared into her imagination.

"I think that you are a very intelligent girl," started the man, walked to Naminé and bending before her, jolting her out of her reverie and into a slight fear. "You just waste your time wandering, in thought and in action. That is why you are always in trouble," he added in a soft whisper. In a moment of impulse, Mr. Frank wetted his lips and reached forward, touching the tips of his fingers to the sides of Naminé's cheeks. But in response the girl reeled back in shock, prompting her professor to grip the sides of her face and pull her towards him as he reasoned with her. "Naminé, calm down," he said, trying not to grin though Naminé whimpered in fright. "I'm not going to hurt you unless you misbehave. I just want to talk to you. Make you understand the way things are."

Naminé looked down at her hands, fully aware that Mr. Frank had not removed his fingers from her face. He stroked her cheek fondly, and sighed, "When you get out into the real world Naminé, it's not going to be anywhere near as easy as it has been for you so far." In reply, Naminé glanced up at him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, though she did not respond. "If you don't have fun now, when are you going to find the time to have it again?" the man sighed further. "If you don't form stable contacts right now, who will be there for you when you're out on your own?"

As this was said Naminé averted her gaze to the window, her eyes glazing over again as she contemplated things.

"But, in any case, I would just like you to know that I want to help you, in that respect at least." Mr. Frank finished, beaming down at her. In response, Naminé paused a moment, before looking up at her professor with furrowed brows. "What do you mean?" she asked dully, to which Mr. Frank sighed.

"I know that you've been spending your summers in the girl's dorms so far, but I want to change that, get you out into the world around you. This summer we're doing a tour of The Planet, the region bordering ourselves to the west." He explained, and Naminé began to brighten at the prospect of adventure. "Where will you be going?" Naminé asked in curiosity, and Mr. Frank smiled brighter, scratching his chin.

"Well, we'll be going to Chocobo Farm, Icicle Inn, the Temple of the Ancients, Wutai, the City of the Ancients, Bone Village, and Nibelheim," he explained, watching Naminé's reactions as he spoke. "I think that that's all of them. It's going to be very interesting."

"I don't have the money to go." Replied Naminé, though she knew what Mr. Frank's answer would be. "I'll pay for it, Naminé," he responded with a light chuckle, waving her off as if the notion that she would pay for herself was absurd in the first place. Then, his smile became warmer. "I want you to enjoy what all the other girls in your class are enjoying."

"Who is going?" Naminé asked, and Mr. Frank sighed again. "All the girls going into 7th, 8th, and 9th year next year. Like I said, it will be a huge opportunity for you. All I ask in return," he added in a murmur, grinning at Naminé with wide-set, green irises that shone ochre in the light, "Is a little bit of appreciation." Naminé was silent in return, though she watched Mr. Frank's lips as he wet them, cut into his face as a knife would cut into clay, and at his eyes, which narrowed to little swollen slits behind his glasses. "Is it a yes?" Mr. Frank murmured, touching the outside of Naminé's hand with his thumb and forefinger. Though Naminé flinched in return, she regrouped quickly with a nervous smile. "That would be lovely," she murmured with hollow inflection, and Mr. Frank beamed again, patting her on the back. Then, he threw his arm around her shoulder and walked her back out from the classroom and down the hall, glancing down at her blonde head every so often.

"See?" he mumbled in observation of the girl's thoughtful silence. "It's not so bad having a prince charming, is it?" Naminé gave a slight smile in response, before returning her wide eyes gaze to the window. Her lips drew into a tight purse, and the light that shone over to zoo ahead shone in at her as well, bathing her in warmth that she could barely feel.

…

Midgar, the last destination of L'Académie's annual summer trip, sprawled out before Naminé's eyes like a great anthill, filled with concrete mounds that spiraled high into the air. The people within swarmed about in a frenzy, each on their own course. It was fascinating and scary to Naminé that at this moment, she inhabited a place completely different from any she had lived in before. As the great museum of art on the outskirts of town towered up in front of her bus, Naminé stared at its stone steps as the vehicle passed them by and veered towards the parking lot. Though the girl felt her legs being kicked from behind the chair she was seated on, she ignored it, instead tucking her feet beneath her thighs and sticking her nose to the window. The kicking resumed, this time at her back, until the bus stopped and the front door opened. Mr. Frank popped his head in and beckoned for the girls to exit the bus, and the whole assembly of the vehicle stood with bright smiles, piling onto the parking lot concrete one by one. Naturally, Naminé trudged out last.

The teachers huddled at the center of the ring of students to organize nametags and tickets, and when all of the materials had been handed to the girls, Mr. Frank beckoned for everyone to follow him inside the museum, adding, "Remember ladies, etiquette," with a raised pinky. Peals of polite laughter rang up through the crowd of girls around Naminé, who wrinkled her nose and kicked at stones until the crowd began to move. Once the party entered the museum lobby, though, Naminé's face lit up, and she looked at the art around her with wide eyes. She'd never seen anything like the renderings in this place. Each section spanned a different time period in the region's history, from pictographs to impressionist paintings, and ending in the contemporary art section. Breaking away from the rest of the class, Naminé wandered around on her own until she ended up in the Ancient Art section, where she sat in the center of the floor and admired the view around her. For several minutes there was utter silence, excepting the sound of Naminé's breath, which drew in and out in gentle puffs. Then, there were footsteps, and Naminé's heart sank as she turned and looked at her visitor.

"There you are," Mr. Frank sighed as he trudged towards Naminé, who jumped up and scurried towards a large pictograph of a person with long flowing hair, reaching her hands out over the sea. Stopping at the room's center and pointing the picture Naminé stood huddled against, Mr. Frank murmured, "you like this one the best?" In response Naminé nodded, to which Mr. Frank smiled. "You got lost in the Temple of the Ancients as well," commented the man, and Naminé nodded again. "No one even noticed you were gone until you ran out crying," Mr. Frank added, shaking his head. Naminé shrugged in return, mumbling, "I have that effect."

In response, Mr. Frank furrowed his brows and moved closer to Naminé, peering down at her with pursed lips. "What do you mean?" he asked, goading Naminé to look at him. "Do you mean that you think you're invisible?" The bruises on the backs of Naminé's calves came to her mind, and suddenly she became very teary, much to her despair. In response to this, Mr. Frank chortled and rubbed Naminé's hair and shoulder before pulling her into a hug, which she accepted without thinking. In this moment Mr. Frank grew intensely quiet. Then, all at once her grabbed Naminé by her shoulder and pulled her face towards his, jamming his lips into hers and moving them around against her mouth. In shock Naminé cried out and tucked her chin to her chest, so that her hair fell over her face and Mr. Frank's eyes grew wide in fear. Cupping his hand over her face, her professor glanced around to see if anyone had heard them, while Naminé fell into confused tears, lolling her head back and falling limp like she had in her temper tantrums years back. When Mr. Frank turned to face her again, Naminé whimpered loudly, so that the man before her gritted his teeth and thrust his neck forward, meeting noses with the young girl, who fell silent. "If you promise not to scream I will not hurt you," he murmured, and Naminé tensed in befuddlement as Mr. Frank craned his neck to the side, pressing his lips to the side of her neck with closed eyes.

"Mr. Frank?" a voice called from outside the exhibit, and Naminé's professor bounded away from her like a fox from a trap, shoving his left hand in his pocket and rubbing his right hand across his upper lip, which was sweating. The clip of kitten heels thrummed towards the student and her teacher, who stood far away from her at this point, and when Naminé glanced up from the ground, she saw that it was her etiquette teacher.

"They're letting all the girls attend the gift shop," the young woman murmured, stealing a suspicious glance at Naminé as she walked forward, who clutched her white knuckles to the throat of her jacket in rigid fear. "Did this one get lost?" the female professor added, and Mr. Frank nodded in vigorous response, giving an odd chuckle as he waltzed towards his colleague and threw his arm around her shoulder. The peers shared a brief smile as they spoke for a moment, until Mr. Frank beckoned for Naminé to follow them forward. After a moment's hesitation, Naminé did what she was told, and soon after their departure from the Ancient Art section, the museum lobby and gift shop came into view ahead of them.

While the etiquette teacher rejoined her group of students, Naminé felt a tap on her back, but when she turned around, she was greeted by a grim expression from Mr. Frank. Glancing about with nervous eyes, her professor reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out his wallet, extracting a few bills from its insides and distributing them into the breast pocket of Naminé's blazer. Then, he patted her shoulder and pointed forward. "I want you to go into the souvenir shop and buy yourself something," Mr. Frank murmured, patting Naminé's shoulder, but the girl looked from the bills, to him, and shook her head.

"It's too much," she mumbled, shaking her head faster as she became upset, but Mr. Frank insisted, pushing her forward with the palms of his hands. "I like you," he muttered, rubbing her shoulders and setting his chin near the crook of her neck as he leaned in behind her. "I want you to buy something for yourself."

In reply, Naminé glanced at him with blank eyes, before nodding and breaking hold from him. But as she scurried through the gift shop's entering archway, she felt a tug on her foot and then she fell forward, the bills held in her palm slipping and spewing across the floor in front of her. As she picked up the cash and stuck it back in her pocket, tittering laughter rose up behind her, before it died and its owners left. But Naminé continued to sit on the floor, going limp as she lay against the side of a cabinet filled with stuffed animals. Coiling and uncoiling the paper bills in her fingers, and then smoothing them out, Naminé looked towards the large letters on the other side of the shop that read "emergency exit" in glowing neon red. As she examined their contours, and then rubbed her eyes when she had looked at the light too long, an idea popped into her head and she acted upon it, jumping up and scurrying towards the door ahead on the tips of her toes. No one noticed her as her hand fell against the cool metal bar running across the center of the exit door, and no one noticed her as she slipped out of it and onto the employee parking lot on the other side.

A gust of cold wind blew against her face as she closed the exit door behind her and raised her arms out on either side of her torso, filling her with excitement so that she charged forward with a smile. Naminé ducked in and out of various parked cars, even doing pirouettes around their borders as she moved forward. In defiance she spit on the ground behind her and ran forward faster, until she was following signs that led to the train station in that part of town. Once there, Naminé followed the directions towards the ticket counter, and smiled up at the vendor sitting behind the glass of the ticket box. "Where to?" the man asked, but Naminé shrugged. Then she grinned as she refrained, "the city!" and watched as the expression on the ticket master's face grew from lack of care to agitation. With a grunt the man printed her out a ticket and requested five gil, to which Naminé responded by smoothing out a quarter of the money in her breast pocket and laying it before the man's fingers. The man behind the counter pressed a green button to his right, and Naminé was allowed into the main section of the train station, where she peered down at her ticket and hopped on the first train that came in her direction.

After huddling into the corner of the train car and squeezing under the seat in amusement, Naminé fell asleep, until the sun held high and the last stop was announced. At this point, she decided that she would depart on foot, and dodged in between various feet as she charged out of the train, out of the station, and up into the open air, where she decided to go left.

As the day wore on, Naminé passed residential buildings, a church, and a few shops, until a large arched sign reading "Sector 6" rose up in front of her vision. Passing through it with quick steps, she looked in the windows of its restaurants and clothing stores in awe, counting the rest of her money and deciding upon running into a sandwich joint. After ordering a grilled cheese, she ate it outside and threw the wrapping in a trashcan nearby. Then, she wandered further through the sector, until twilight descended over the land, and she found herself in a part of the city called "Wall Market", a strange place that she could not describe in delicate terms. Black smoke billowed from turrets above the brick shackled buildings surrounding her, and the neon letters painted across their surface read with a softness that did not resemble their inhabitants. Examining the sun and scurrying forward in increased panic, Naminé tried to ignore the eyes that fell upon her as she ran, until in her panicked stupor she charged headfirst into a tall creature that spoke in a deep but animated voice.

With a yelp, Naminé toppled over herself and onto the concrete behind her, while the creature ahead turned around with an expression of indignation, its golden painted eyelids narrowed with a threatening glance. "What's your problem?" the tall golden eyes creature asked, leaning over Naminé with gritted teeth. In confusion Naminé peered closer at the person ahead of her and scratched her head as she tried to make out what she was. The woman in front of her had flowing pink hair, blue mascara and lipstick, a short blue PVC dress, and large pink high heels. While Naminé blinked up at her in wonder, the woman ahead took on a pitying glance, unfolding her muscular forearms so that she could help the little one up. As Naminé accepted the helping hand, the woman asked what she was doing in such a place, to which Naminé could only shrug that she did not know in reply. In return, her new companion stuck out her lower lip in discomfort, glancing at the man she had been speaking to with furrowed brows. "This is a bad place to get lost, honey," murmured the lady in a deep tenor, scratching her loose hair with her thick manicured nails. "Don Corneo would love fresh meat like you."

"Who is Don Corneo?" asked Naminé with big eyes, but the woman in front of her was already speaking with her friend again, who gave Naminé a worried glance as he whispered in the tall woman's ear. Nodding, the neon dressed woman bent close to Naminé and smiled at her, blue lipstick stains smeared across the top of her teeth and gums. "Do you want me to call someone for you? Get you home?" the woman asked, but Naminé's fingers went cold as she shook her head in fear, backing away from the woman ahead as the tall creature hoisted herself up and advanced upon Naminé. "You can't be lost here," added the woman as she stepped forward, but with wide eyes Naminé continued to shake her head, until thoughts of her punishments upon returning to L'Académie grew too beastly to control. Then, as the woman tried to touch her arm, Naminé bolted across the road, running as fast as she could until a set of stairs to the right attracted her attention.

Jumping down two steps at a time, Naminé catapulted herself into a long, dank alleyway that stank of piss and vomit. But she kept running down the zigzagging path until it emptied out into a rectangular cul-de-sac filled with dumpsters that lined the backs of the buildings surrounding it. Stopping at the center of the area in confusion, Naminé whipped her head from one dumpster to the next, trying to decide what to do. But when one of the windows to the buildings around her creaked open, Naminé dropped to her knees and scuttled beneath the dumpster with the highest legs, breathing out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of an open storm drain beneath it. The rectangular hole that descended deep into the sewer beneath the ground had had its metal grated lid unscrewed and flung to the side, leaving enough space for a human to crawl into its trench. Now, in great fear, Naminé lowered herself into the storm drain hole until her feet touched the ground ten feet below the dumpster's metal base. Refraining from climbing back up and placing the grated lid back over the storm drain hole, Naminé glanced about her in silence.

At the bottom of the storm drain, there laid a sewer, split into two circular passageways, one to Naminé's left, and the other to Naminé's right. The walls surrounding her were made of ancient grey bricks that dripped putrid water constantly, making Naminé wince as the liquid fell against her skin and onto her head. But she remained motionless, because the cool, squealing darkness that extended on all sides of her made her skin crawl worse than anything that came from above her. Furry shapes scuttled past her feet towards the passage on the left, some scratching against her muddy shoes and socks in their search for meat. But they did not hurt Naminé. Instead, they blinked up at her and shivered, before they disappeared for good. Above her head, the sound of a door opening made Naminé jump, and she shook as footsteps and a voice of song traveled towards the dumpster that lay five feet above the tip of her scalp. A crashing noise echoed through the sewer hole as a large bag was dumped into the trash bin atop it, but then the singing and footsteps died as they returned to their home and shut the door behind them, leaving Naminé in squeaking silence once more.

To protect herself from the fear that was paralyzing her, Naminé sank to her knees and shuffled her feet through the water, thinking of how excellent she was at hiding. But as the furry shapes returned and swarmed around her feet, nudging against her legs as their eyes pleaded for food, Naminé jumped up and kicked them away, huddling herself into the wall beside her. The furries continued nuzzling at her feet, squealing at her even louder than before, for several minutes, until with abrupt accuracy, every one of them shut their mouths and turned their snouts in the direction of the left tunnel. Within it, deep, silent darkness extended, filled with nothingness that made the creatures shiver. Then, in a great fright, the head furry let out a peeling screech and charged for the right tunnel at breakneck speed, followed in a few short moments by the rest of the party, which hissed and fought to climb over one another in their fight to escape. Soon, the furries and the echo of their speech disappeared, and Naminé was left alone, her back leaning towards the left tunnel, while her head was turned to the right.

A great shuffling in the left tunnel made Naminé gasp in fright. But when no other sound came from its depths, Naminé peered towards it, waiting as her eyes adjusted to the black fog within. "Is someone there?" whispered the small girl, to silence.

Then, a blinding light shot from the tunnel ahead, blinding Naminé and making her screech at the top of her lungs as she fell away from it and into the water on the floor beneath her. When the light drew nearer, Naminé shielded her face with her hands and curled into a ball, shutting her eyes in an effort to wake up from the nightmare she was living through. But as she screamed again, two large hands fell around Naminé's mouth and hoisted her up, shaking her as a gurgling voice told her to be quiet. Orange teeth held the flashlight now, but when Naminé bit the hands holding her, the creature's mouth flew open, and he used one hand to catch the flashlight, and the other to throw Naminé to the ground. "Be quiet!" the voice hissed again, shining the flashlight in her face once more, so that Naminé winced until her eyes adjusted. Yet when they did, the shape ahead of her did not form into that of a monster. Instead, the man standing before her was tall and handsome, with a bent shape and silver hair that fell in a tousle around his shoulders and face.

He looked at Naminé closely for a moment, but then his body convulsed with coughs, and he spit blood against the girl's legs before he crumpled into a large heap at her feet. With a responding gasp, Naminé fell to her knees and hoisted her companion up, so that he sat with his back rested against the wall behind him, and his breathing became steadier. When the young girl reached for the flashlight held tightly in his hands, he spit at her, but as she coaxed him, the man's hands loosened their hold, until Naminé slid the device from his fingers and shone it at his chest. The responding sight drew a gasp from the girl's throat.

Staining the man's white blouse was a pool of blood that extended from the top of his chest, to the middle of his stomach. When Naminé chanced unbuttoning his shirt, the man trembled, and the warm liquid dripped against Naminé's little fingers as she located the bleeding points. One was his stomach, another was his chest, and the third was the right side of his ribcage, which pulsed and shook as he breathed.

"What happened to you?" squeaked Naminé, and the man responded in a guttural tone, "I was shot."

After a short pause, Naminé responded, "Why would someone do this to you?" But the man only shrugged. After a five-minute silence, in which Naminé stopped the man's bleeding with her blazer, the man glanced down at her with a thoughtful stare and spit blood from the side of his mouth. "I'm dying," he added in a dull tone. When Naminé gasped in reply, holding back tears, the man shrugged and responded, "I'll be dead in perhaps, ten minutes at the most. My body's shutting down." His breathing had already become twice as shallow, but he shook his head, as if battling with something in his mind. Then, he began to talk, his eyes going out of focus as he explained what sounded like a fantastical dream.

"I didn't care if I got caught," he hissed. "I knew it would hap- I just wanted to know... to impress my father... didn't think he would- _kill _me for it..." then he spit again, adding with a snarl, "No one deserves that much power, especially not after he- he _used _me the way he did... not after he made me create that- that _monster _of his..." as the man rambled on, his eyes drew back and forth in his skull, until Naminé slapped his face and drew him back to the present.

"Who killed you?" she asked in a whisper. For the first time, the man looked into her eyes and saw her clearly. Then, a grin cut his face from one ear to the other as he chortled, "My daddy," croaking, "Xehanort Sr.," shortly after. Then he gave a mighty cough and Naminé took a deep breath. "Who are you?" she asked, but instead of responding the man looked up to the top of the storm drain, where a sliver of moonlight had intruded, shining a small ray against the pool of water at the sewer bottom and casting it sky blue.

"I am Xehanort," he murmured finally. "Master Xehanort's son. I helped facilitate the creation of a race of monsters for my father. I did _my _job, but- the whole thing was never completed… I never found the antidote…" he chuckled. Then, he looked at Naminé with a strange glance, staring from her left eye to her right with intensity. In sudden excitement he grabbed her face and pulled it close to his, examining it until the sides of his mouth turned into another, wider grin than before.

"You have a heart of pure light," he whispered, pointing to Naminé's chest with his left, bloodstained forefinger. "A light with the ability to coexist with pure darkness instead of destroying it..." then he gasped. "_You _are the antidote! Revealed to me before a drew my last breath..." As he took his hands away from Naminé's face and settled them against his chest, he glanced back into the pool of light at the base of the drain hole before closing his eyes and sighing. "If I'd had more time," he murmured, half asleep, "I would've liked to experiment on you, too." Then, his head lolled to the side, and Naminé watched as his breathing became shallower and shallower, until his eyes opened, his bottom jaw fell against his collarbone, and he grew silent. A pool of blood had formed around him, oozing around the bottom of Naminé's shoes. The smell of it made her feel ill, but she did not speak or cry.

As the night wore on, Naminé heard sounds of people walking through the alleyway, laughing, shouting, and silent footsteps that seemed to search for something, though they never came too close. When morning dawned, and the stench of the body became unbearable, Naminé crept towards it and laid it with gentle care against the ground, folding its arms across its chest and laying her blazer over its face. Then, she hoisted herself back to the top of the storm drain and slipped out from beneath the dumpster base back out into the sunlight, which shone against her face with a mugginess like warm tears.

With a strange nonchalance Naminé washed the blood from her legs in a seedy restaurant bathroom and stole an overcoat from the hangers at the building's entrance. Then, without expression, she returned to the train station and bought a ticket "as far away from town as she could get." When she reached the outskirts of Midgar, she bought a ticket for a tour bus to Nibelheim, where she snuck into the car park of a grain packing plant and hid in the furthermost corner of one of their transport crates, headed for a strange place called "The City That Never Was".

The details of that journey, and of the bus and train journey before, are inconsequential. Naminé slept or cried through most of them, with her head hung limp above her knees, which moved back and forth from the tremor of the vehicle she sat within. Her mind drew blank as she traveled, and as you tomorrow will not remember how sweltering the inside of the grain truck to The City That Never Was was to Naminé, the next day Naminé did not even remember the events of the one before. ….

**One Year Later**

Naminé had received a brand new box of crayons and a new notebook the minute she had walked in the door of her new home, Castle Oblivion. Up until that point she had spent her days doodling in the corner of her bedroom at the Orphanage That Never Was in the City That Never Was. In her time there, she had picked up the intriguing ability of inhibiting the memory of her peers and of her caretakers. This ability came into prime use when she wanted to escape punishment, which she received but did not carry out regularly. But Organization Thirteen, her new guardians, were not so easily wiled by her tricks. The first day she had tried it on them, she had received a hard slap across the face. The only female member within the Castle, Larxene, gave that one. Naminé did not like Larxene.

"_Naminé, Castle Oblivion is first and foremost a hotel for very high class individuals,"_ she remembered a man named Marluxia explaining on the first day. _"But, as we are experimenting with horizontal integration, we have taken on an investment and a science office." _A week ago they had injected Naminé with what appeared to be grey tar. After a night of odd nightmares, the first 'experiment' was deemed a success, and Naminé was given an expansive white room to inhabit. At its center was a long white table with white flowers at its center, an effort at feng shui, to inhibit Naminé's episodes of posttraumatic stress disorder, which Larxene had affectionately defined as 'fucking around'.

Now, Naminé held in front of her two pictures. One was of a boy named Sora, and the other was of a girl named Kairi. Naminé was homeschooled, and her classes consisted of science, math, art, and research. Her most current research project was on these two people, and the topic was learning everything about them.

Kairi was the adopted daughter of the Mayor of Destiny Islands. But, unknown to most people, she was also the daughter of the last queen of Radiant Garden, which made her a princess. Sora was the son of the current Director of the Investigation Bureau, established by King Mickey five years ago to thwart crime in their country and beyond. Sora was the target of Organization Thirteen's main plan. Because they wanted control of the Investigation Bureau, the procedure was simple. They would use Naminé to capture Sora. Now Naminé didn't like the idea of it herself. But the more she found out about Sora's good deeds to his friends, about his bright smile and sparkling blue eyes, the more she craved their meeting. As Naminé held up Sora's picture to the light from the window of her room, she smiled and touched her finger to his nose, taking in his warm smile that radiated off of the page in front of her. Then, she retrieved her new set of crayons and began to draw him, half listening to the conversation Marluxia and Larxene were having behind her.

"Has Naminé had that weird injection yet?" Larxene drawled, and Marluxia nodded. "I think it has made her stronger. I can feel the air change when she walks into a room."

To this, Larxene snorted and rolled her eyes. "Air change? My ass… what you're talking about is a _ghost, _Marluxia, someone who's been dead and forgotten," then she added in false revelation, "Come to think of it… you might be onto something there." Sending a final death glare at Naminé before she commented, "Oh, yeah, _Vexen _says that we're getting a visit from one of the higher ups today."

Marluxia grimaced in response, muttering under his breath, "Why is it that they always feel the need to intrude on us?"

"Because they know that we're up to something?" Larxene tried, and Marluxia shot her a disapproving glance, putting his finger to his pursed lips before whispering, "It would be better not to say such things out loud, in the openness of the castle. Someone might be listening."

"Listening to what?"

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Marluxia and Larxene's heads shot up like squirrels. Then, while Marluxia hurried to Naminé's side and shoved the pictures of Kairi and Sora into his back pocket, Larxene folded her arms in front of her and smiled. Naminé turned around to have a look at the visitor too, but when she saw who was standing before her, she dropped her crayons in surprise.

Standing ahead of them was a tall, extremely handsome young man with catlike green eyes, teardrop tattoos on his cheeks, and most strikingly, flaming red, spiky long hair.

Jokingly, Larxene fanned herself, while Marluxia frowned. "Getting a little hot in here, isn't it, Marly?" Larxene added with a grin, and Axel laughed, sauntered over to the pair's side. "What is it that you want, Axel?" Marluxia sighed, sending a dagger glare to the porter who had allowed Axel inside the front door. As the small maid slipped out from Naminé's room with a look of terror, Axel shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.

"I've been sent here by the higher ups to weed out any traitors in your midst," murmured the young man, narrowing his feline eyes so that they met with Marluxia's as he added, "Know of any?"

In return Marluxia narrowed his eyes as well, and smiled. "No," he cooed, glancing at Axel from beneath his eyelashes. "But if I find any, I'll let you know."

"Do," Axel responded, and then upon turning back to Larxene, he noticed that Naminé was staring at him. With furrowed brows the man looked her up and down, before chuckling. "You trying to catch flies?" he joked, and Naminé clamped her mouth shut, wondering if she had been gaping at him as well. As Axel beamed at the girl, Larxene stared at her with a cool glance, pursing her lips and averting her gaze at the last moment.

"Hey, Axel," she gushed, stepping in front of Axel's view of the white table, "So are you going to be staying here for a while?" But Axel shrugged again, responding, "I'll stay as long as I need to."

As he and Larxene talked for a while, Naminé stared up at the red head in complete awe. He was the most beautiful man that she had ever seen. And he had been so nice to her! She had never met a man that lovely in all her life.

When she had first met Marluxia, and before she had come to Castle Oblivion, she thought he was nice, too. But soon enough, she found to her dismay that contrary to being just like the frightful males that had inhabited her life up until that point, he was the worst. The most heartbreaking pieces of her past shone in his eyes, like puzzle pieces that Naminé could not put together. Though she could influence the memories of those around her, she could not influence her own, which stayed locked, tight as a drum.

"Axel, let us set up a room for you," Marluxia interrupted, taking Axel by the arm and leading him out from the room. "Larxene," he added on his way out, "stay with Naminé."

"Aw, why me?" complained Larxene, looking with distain on the little girl beside her. "Am I gonna have to drag around _another _pipsqueak? One was enough…"

As the last statement was worded, a glint of something passed over Axel's eyes, though no one noticed it except Naminé. Who was the other 'one'? Turning to Larxene, Naminé opened her mouth in question. But as the first syllable was expressed, Larxene interrupted her.

"Don't even speak," the woman hissed, and Naminé shut her mouth. Then, the woman's icy gaze fell upon the little girl's pale skin, and her lip curled up in distaste. "Marluxia always talked about how intelligent and how talented you were before you came here," she cooed, her green eyes glinting like shards of glass. "Needless to say, you've disappointed me."

Naminé opened her mouth to talk, but Larxene slapped her before any words came out. The two stood in silence until Larxene spoke again.

"I feel like you were one of those kids who spent all their time in a little room, dreaming about how fantastic they would turn out to be someday. Well guess what, Naminé," whispered the beautiful woman. "It doesn't work that way. Only people who've started with something get anything out of life. The only way to make something out of nothing is to steal it." She explained, and then she looked back at Naminé with narrowed eyes. "Like I said before… you're a ghost. You carried no weight. But when you came here, we gave you a purpose. Don't over step your bounds."

With that, Naminé was left alone, with the crumpled pictures of Sora and Kairi that Marluxia had left for her.

…

"Naminé?" DiZ called, and the girl raised her head. "What is it, Ansem?" she asked, but when she did not receive an answer, she walked into his computer room and stood at his side.

"Roxas is coming soon," he murmured without looking at her, and Naminé's heart dropped. She had never liked the idea of using Roxas as leverage against the organization. His life would turn upside down because of a stupid grudge, and Naminé did not think it was right.

"And Naminé?" Ansem added. As Naminé raised her head again, she met with DiZ's uncaring eyes. "Don't do anything stupid," the man murmured.

With bent head, Naminé nodded and filed back into her room, decorated to look exactly like the one from Castle Oblivion. As her eyes trailed over its drawing filled walls, she noticed the emptiness surrounding her. An absence of color and of emotion, an environment of control was what had been instilled in her from the moment she had laid eyes on Organization Thirteen to now, when she had been employed to thwart them. Running her fingers across her long white table, Naminé scooped her blunted crayons together with her notepad and let them fall to the ground without care. After staring at the mess for a few moments, she retrieved a small purse, given to her long ago by Marluxia, and distributed the supplies within. Then she unhooked Sora's lucky charm from the top rung on the inside of her closet and threw that in the bag, too. But as she closed the closet door, something deep within caught her eyes, and she remembered something from Castle Oblivion.

Marluxia had held a gun to her head to impede Axel from coming at him.

"Don't move." He'd said triumphantly, but Axel would only smile in distaste.

"What kind of a game is this?" the red head had snarled. "You think cowering behind Naminé will stop me? Think again. Your little mascot can keep you company in the void!"

At this point of the memory, every moment forward moved slowly. Everything grew deliberate and harsh. Marluxia had never planned to _kill _Naminé. But Axel did not know that. Did he?

Hidden on the highest shelf on the far wall of the closet, was Naminé's doll, an exact image of herself, with closed, blind eyes, and little weak wings. As Naminé stared at it, inexplicable rage took over her until she threw the toy against the wall. Then she put her face in her hands and sobbed. She'd heard whispers between DiZ and his assistant the day before about her 'disposal'. Naminé was sure that meant death. She knew too much.

DiZ was Ansem. The former leader of Radiant Garden, betrayed and banished at the hands of his own apprentice, Xehanort, brother to Xemnas, leader of Organization Thirteen. DiZ's current plan was one of revenge, and Roxas, an innocent casualty, would take the blame for his actions. To Naminé it didn't seem right.

Suddenly, there was a racket downstairs, and Naminé jumped up and shoved her packed bag into her closet, sitting back at the head of her table just as Ansem entered her room. "Remember my instructions," he hissed. "Aren't you staying?" Naminé asked in return, but Ansem gave her a snide grin before he murmured, "he trusts you. All you must do is tell him to come to the library. He'll do whatever you say." This hit Naminé hard, but she took a deep breath as she prepared to say aloud the 'script' she had memorized. Hi, Roxas. Go downstairs. Go to the library.

But before she had time to collect herself, there was a thud in the foyer, and the sound of footsteps treading up the stairs. When Naminé glanced towards her door, she met eyes with the frame of Roxas, frozen in awe. He looked about like a blind man, until his gaze settled on a particular picture on the back wall of the room and he groaned, swaying back and forth with dizziness. The pictures on Naminé's wall were meant for Roxas, to return his memories of Organization Thirteen to him piece by piece in order to control him.

"Did you remember something?" Naminé asked, giving Roxas a start. As he registered her for the first time, he shrugged, mumbling, "I'm not sure," as he scratched the back of his head in shock. Then, his face contorted with a grimace, and he added, "What should I do?"

In reply, Naminé opened and closed her mouth; trying to say the words that DiZ had told her to. Hi, Roxas. Go downstairs. Go to the library.

"Everyone is waiting for the Investigator's son," she blurted out instead, adding, "You need to go talk to Sora." As soon as the words left her lips, DiZ was in the room and in front of her, addressing Naminé with impatience. "What are you doing?" he seethed, while Roxas blinked in surprise. But as the boy recognized the man's face, and as Ansem realized what Naminé had done, time started to tumble into chaos.

"You're…" Roxas gasped, craning his neck so that he could see Naminé, shielded from view by Ansem. "Naminé, hey!" Roxas shouted in excitement, but Ansem narrowed his eyes, snapping, "Ignore her. Go to the library downstairs." Trying to think of what to do, Naminé threw her arms over her head and laid it against the table, shivering from indecision.

"What did you do to Naminé? I need to talk to her!" Roxas shouted in anger, so that DiZ left Naminé's side and grabbed Roxas by the shoulder. "I will answer any questions you have. Now go," he hissed, and pushed Roxas from the room as Naminé drew her head up to watch them. Then, she stood, having made her decision.

"Roxas!" she shouted, and the boy whizzed around, lunging past Ansem and meeting hands with those of Naminé. As Ansem shouted abuse at her, Naminé kept hold of Roxas' hand, feeling every one of his emotions as they passed through her. "Roxas," she cried in desperation, "You won't disappear and you won't take blame! You've done nothing wrong! Just help Sora! Don't forget! Until we meet again!" she added at the top of her lungs, before Ansem peeled her fingers from Roxas' and hauled her down the stairs.

Roxas stood dumbfounded as Ansem dragged Namine to his computer room supply closet and locked her inside. The tiny space was nowhere near soundproof, so Riku and Ansem's ensuing conversation was clear as a bell.

"DiZ!" he roared, to which Ansem responded, "I thought I told you to dispose of Naminé."

"I have no intentions of going that far," Riku hissed in reply. "If you want her gone, do it yourself."

At this, Ansem went quiet, pushing past Riku and trudging back up the stairs towards Roxas. Naminé heard the sound of Riku's feet, stepping towards the supply closet in hesitation. But as his judgment took hold, he backed away and disappeared outside of the house, leaving the girl trapped and alone.

Panting and shaking, Naminé lied on her side and curled into a ball as she tried to calm herself. Then, the sobbing that shook her limbs gave way to manic laughter. She'd just confirmed her own funeral and she was laughing. But she did not care. As long as Roxas was fine, so was she. As Naminé lay on her side, thoughts of all the people she had met ran along the insides of her eyelids, making her sigh. Roxas, Sora, Axel, and now Riku...

As Naminé looked around, she got a sudden, familiar feeling that made her skin crawl. The murmuring of Roxas upstairs, the scuffling of Naminé's feet, and the sliver of blue light that drew through the closet shutters and shone across Naminé's hands gave way to dark passages made of grey stone in Naminé's imagination. In this place there was no light. Warm little bodies scurried past feet, though no humans inhabited this place. And water always dripped, like the ticking of an old clock, or the distant beat of a memory.


	13. Investigation

Reno tapped his fingers against the desk in front of him and sighed in exhaustion. He did not know exactly how many hours of sleep he had gotten that week, but he figured that the full count couldn't be more than nine. Every day he had been at his office from dawn till dusk, trying to figure out the "pariah case", an affectionate term of phrase for the case involving the elusive Master Xehanort.

As Reno sat there, something crept into the front of his mind, and he rummaged through the various files on his desk, trying to locate the right one. When he got to it in his hands, he breathed out a contented sigh and stared at the page, appealing to the content within for help.

It was the picture of the Cetra's hand. But the team still did not know if it had been worth Kid's time to steal. As Reno traced the contours of the picture with curiosity, Lightning stormed into his office, pink cheeked and annoyed.

"What's the matter?" breathed Reno, but Lightning rolled her eyes. "There is nothing, and I repeat, _nothing _worth our time in Shinra Mansion. Hojo hasn't been doing experiments in that house for years. And all the important files, as we suspected, are gone."

"Maybe he took them out a long time ago." Reno tried, but Lightning wasn't buying it. "We would have found evidence of the move! Hojo isn't a seasoned escape artist!"

"Well then maybe there was nothing there to begin with! Maybe Hojo _was_ the master mind!" Reno exploded, and Lightning looked at him with blank eyes.

"What do you mean?" she intoned. Reno rolled his eyes. "Maybe we are over thinking this," he offered, hands outstretched in want of peace. "Maybe Hojo was into more than he let on!"

As Reno tried to explain Lightning only glared at him, shaking her head. "You are giving up, aren't you? I knew that you didn't have the balls to do a case like this," She growled. To this, Reno gritted his teeth and jumped up, threatening to snap. "I'm trying my best," he barked. The pair stared at each other for a hard minute before Lightning smirked and sauntered over to him, setting her hands on his desk with a light touch. "Are you really?" she asked, but in response Reno shut his mouth, refusing to say another word. As Lightning circled his desk, running her eyes over it, scanning documents with her fingers, her gaze fell against the paper Reno was holding, and she huffed. "Why are you so obsessed with that stupid picture?" she growled, adding with outstretched arm, "If this was so important, why did they shove it in with codes from the Wutai War?"

"Maybe it got misplaced," whined Reno in reply, but Lightning snorted, "That would be way too much of a coincidence to be a trustworthy option."

"I just have a gut feeling about this thing," Reno pleaded, grinning with hope. Lightning rolled her eyes again, mumbling, "Well, what do you want to do now?" in response, to which Reno pursed his lips and scratched the back of his head. "You know how Hojo was trying to use the life stream to experiment on people?" he asked and Lightning nodded, budding Reno's excitement.

"Well, the Cetra were really connected to the Life Stream, and Hojo was using it to make super soldiers, so it's only logical that the picture would be a connection to Hojo, and even Project S!" Reno blabbered on, pleased to see that Lightning was nodding in agreement. "You are onto something," She acquiesced with a shrug, and Reno smiled, pulling on his coat.

"Well, let's go interrogate him!" Reno shouted, and dashed to the door before Lightning could stop him. Grabbing her own coat and rolling her eyes, Lightning trudged out after him, calling, "Wait a minute, Reno, why can't it wait till the morning?" But Reno shook his head. "It just can't! Are you taking a break from this case?" he added in an offhand sort of way, and Lightning's eyes lit up with a stubborn blaze. "Never!" she replied, and they both stalked out from the station together, wondering what would happen next.

…..

With a loud whistle Riku walked up to Yen Sid's tower, kicking stones ahead of him like he was a kid again. Sora was busy with college stuff. Miraculously the brunette had raised his grades to satisfactory for the colleges he wanted to get into, and he had also applied to the Guardian Academy in Palumpolum. His return letter translated, 'if you pass the Mark of Mastery Exam, you're in'. The fact that Sora was the son of the creator and Director of the Investigation Bureau also proved a big plus in his college search. Riku couldn't help but feel jealous. Riku had to advertise himself, but Sora had only to announce his name to gain interest. Yen Sid had canceled training for that day because Sora could not attend, but Riku figured it would be wise to visit the tower anyway, to say hello. First and foremost he wanted to speak with Fauna. Yen Sid had given Flora a vacation, which meant that she would not be hovering at her sister's side for a few days. Riku knew that it was morally unacceptable to ask a woman of questionable sanity about the source of her mental problem. But he felt like he _had _to know, on behalf of his friends. With a deep breath Riku knocked on the door and waited. Minutes later, the door was opened, and Yen Sid peered down at Riku with suspicion.

"What are you doing here, boy?" the old man boomed. Riku shrugged. "I just wanted to see how Fauna was getting along," He tried, but he knew that Yen Sid did not believe him. "You be careful with her," murmured the old key blade master. "She is as fragile as the thinnest piece of glass." Then, Yen Sid led him inside the tower and up to Fauna's room, where she was sitting at the window, humming. She was holding a pink piece of material, most likely one of Flora's handkerchiefs. When the woman noticed that Riku had entered her room, she set the hanky down at the window's side and glanced back at her visitor with a blank stare.

"What do you want?" She murmured, and Riku gave a big sigh, indicating Yen Sid's back yard. "Do you want to talk outside, in the sun?" Riku tried, but Fauna shook her head. "No. I want to stay in here. I want some tea and a biscuit. And I want you to have some too," She added, the slightest grin playing across her lips, and Riku nodded, trudging back out of the room. He went into the kitchen and made some tea, got some descent looking cookies, and hauled the little lawn table from the back yard up the elevator to Fauna's room. Against her objections he opened the blinds and let the sunlight in. At first, the woman winced at the light, but after a while it had a considerable effect on her disposition, and she managed to smile.

"What do you want to talk about, Riku?" she chirped and Riku tried coming up with the right way to begin the conversation. "Well…" he started, but then sighed, deciding to be honest. "I want to talk about Ansem," He murmured, and Fauna's smile disappeared. "Oh." She whispered, glancing out the window with the same blank expression as before. "What exactly is it that you want to know?" inquired the woman after a short pause, and Riku scratched the back of his head.

"I want to know about what you said to me last time we… talked," Riku explained with careful tread. "I didn't understand. What's the story behind that?" He tried. As Fauna looked down at her hands and wiped tears out of her eyes, Riku suddenly felt terrible about grilling Fauna on her past. "You know, you don't have to say anything if you're too uncomfortable," he interjected, but Fauna waved him off.

"I married Xehanort when I was 25 years old," Fauna began, taking the pink hanky back in her hands to play with its corners. "And a year after I had my first son, who we also named Xehanort, after his father. My husband was very proud of his son. He used to call him 'junior', if you could imagine a time…" chuckled the woman, regrouping, "but, anyway, he was an intelligent, loving boy. He was going to be married after high school, but then he disappeared for a while, and later we found that he was attending a science university in Gehstalia, this was years before the reign of Kefka," she added matter-of-factly, though Riku nodded with furrowed brows, not understanding.

"Junior and his father did not get along," Fauna continued. "When he left for college they were not on speaking terms. But his father persuaded him to return, and after four years of college in Gehstalia Junior attended college in the Land of Departure for four years. While he was in school there, Ansem spotted him and offered him an internship at his laboratory in Radiant Garden. Junior became Ansem's apprentice, and then his assistant, and we were happy because we knew our son was doing well," She explained, and Riku leaned in closer to her, and noticed that she was wringing her skirt in her fingers, and had discarded the pink hanky to the ground.

"Long before my son became Ansem's assistant, my husband took in a young boy named Ventus, and then adopted one whom he called Vanitas. I did not know exactly what was going on, but he was doing research with them. I didn't like it. I thought that at the time he was just trying to _help _them, because they were both in poor family conditions," whined the woman, but then her face became dark with a grimace. "But, I only found out much later that he had been experimenting _on_ them. Taking in those children ended our marriage, especially the second boy. He scared me. He was so angry, and mean. _He_ drove the first one, Ventus, out. So Master Eraqus, Xehanort's friend at the time, had to protect Ventus. Both of the boys were only nine when the trouble with Master Eraqus began, but Vanitas looked like he was 15. It was so… so _strange_. They'd done something to him to make him that way," Fauna sighed, taking a deep breath as she continued, "Ansem never liked my husband. I think he took interest in my son to get revenge on my husband- for what, I don't know. He turned my son into a monster. The son that_ I_ raised would _not _have been involved in the Hollow Bastion Massacre. My son wouldn't have experimented on innocent people and then let them loose on a city… Ansem had morphed him into a beast," she spat, her head bent towards the table. Then she began to sniff. "After the Hollow Bastion Massacre, I was crushed. That day, I disowned my son in my heart," added the woman in a whisper, and Riku shuffled his feet in discomfort, though he leaned forward in anticipation to hear the rest of the story.

"A short while after the Hollow Bastion Massacre my son returned to me. But he was different. He was a skeleton of himself, his eyes burned with a strange _desire _that I could not grasp. It was terrible to look at him," Fauna whispered, "Then, he asked me for _money. _He wanted me to give him money so that he could perform more experiments in Midgar. I told him to go to his father, but he said that he already had, and that he'd made him angry. My son said that he needed to finish what Ansem started, and what his father had started. I said no. I told him to leave, and he got angry," she said with a shaky voice. "Yen Sid had just come to visit me. When my son… attacked me… Yen Sid scared him off," she added.

"A while after, my sisters and I left for Yen Sid's tower. We were appalled at the way our hometown had changed- it seemed as if the sky turned darker after Maleficent took mayoral office. But, I never heard from my son again. I still do not know what happened to him," She murmured, and her voice trailed into silent crying, as Riku patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm really sorry that that happened," Riku muttered, and as he did, something else came into his mind, but he pursed his lips before asking it. "You were talking about a boy, Ventus," he began, and Fauna looked up with tear-stained cheeks and nodded in confusion. "Yes? What about him?" she commented, and Riku's heart beat faster as he tried to formulate his question. "Well… you said that your husband was… experimenting on him?"

Fauna nodded, thinking back on it with upturned eyes. "Yes… it was something to do with the 'light and dark' thing that he was studying."

"Where did the boy Vanitas come into the picture?" Riku asked. Fauna chuckled sadly.

"Ah, yes," she murmured, half of her face hidden in the shadow, the other half bathed in light from the window as she continued, "The masked boy. I do not know the full extent of it because my husband never told me, but he alluded that the boy Vanitas was the opposite counterpart of Ventus- as if they were a 'team'. I do not know much else. You'd have to ask the boy yourself," She sighed. Gaping, Riku remembered Roxas' twin, leaning against the staircase at Aerith's last, disastrous party.

"Maybe I will," he whispered, and looked out the window in deep thought.

"I doubt he'll tell you anything," replied Fauna, sipping on her tea with a tired sigh. "Not after going through what he did."

Riku exhaled deeply before trying to smile. When Fauna did not return his glance, he took a sip of his tea and a bite of a cookie. Fauna seemed pleased at the gesture, and readjusting herself in her seat, she began to drink her tea, as well. But Riku noticed her shaking hands as she set her tea back down in its saucer.

"I'm sorry." Repeated Riku, guilt creeping at him too late, but Fauna waved him off. "It's alright. I feel stronger," she explained, gripping her tea firmly in front of her. "I have stood up to my husband. He can't keep me quiet any longer," She added, sitting back as Riku finished his tea and biscuit. "Thank you for everything," Riku mumbled, standing up, but Fauna took on a frightened expression. "What are you going to do with this information?" She whispered. Riku shrugged. "I don't know. But I won't tell anyone who gave it to me," He added, smiling, to which Fauna nodded in relief.

Then, Riku cleaned the table and hauled it down the elevator, returning it to its place in the back of Yen Sid's garden. When he reentered Fauna's room asking if she wanted her blinds closed again, she sighed and glanced up at him with tired eyes. "No," the woman murmured further. "I'll leave them open for now."

With a nod and a smile, Riku left Fauna seated beside her window and trudged down the stairs, his head spinning with revelation. Since he had nothing left to do for the day, he thought that he might as well visit Ventus. Riku chuckled as he ran his fingers through his hair. Ventus. The strange boy who had glared at him at Aerith's party. Riku wondered what he would say to him. How could he even start a conversation with a boy he hardly knew?

Riku thought over it a moment, wondering what his next move would be. Ventus lived with Roxas in Twilight Town. How Roxas felt about all the trouble Axel was getting into, Riku wondered. Riku had been so wrapped up in his own personal problems that he'd forgotten to visit everyone else. He wondered how Naminé and Xion were. It still made him ashamed that he'd had to be the one to tell Naminé that she had to relocate after Ansem died. For three months Naminé had been taken in, until his mother noticed there was no sign of Naminé and Riku getting together. Then she had told the girl herself that she'd had to go. Stopping in his tracks with widened eyes, Riku wondered what his mother would think if she knew he was gay. With a deep breath Riku decided to put that thought out of mind. Then, too excited to walk there, he boarded the train into Twilight Town center and jumped up when he hopped off on Main Street. As he turned onto Roxas' street and trudged up to the boy's door, he practiced different approaches in his head. But just as he reached for the stair rail on the side of the apartment porch, Roxas threw the front door open and nearly crashed into him, meeting the boy nose to nose in surprise. "Riku?" he murmured, the deep bags beneath his lashes and his furrowed brows giving him a pitiful appearance. In return Riku smiled and waved, giving his counterpart a subtle once over before folding his hands in his pockets and addressing the boy directly. Roxas was handsome even when he was miserable. He had Sora's glow.

"What's the matter?" Riku asked, but Roxas sighed in anguish. His fingers shook as he became upset. "Things are just messing up," he hissed, running his fingers through his hair in savage swipes as he added, "I guess she would have to be my _sister _if it had gone well, which would have been weird..."

Riku stared at Roxas. "What?" he asked. In response, Roxas scratched his head in agitation. "Uh, Marluxia's got Xion."

As the words dribbled from Roxas' lips in a pitiful manner, Riku's expression changed, and he loomed above Roxas with flared nostrils. "He what?" barked the taller boy, to which the blond cowered back, battling with his thoughts. Grabbing the boy's shoulders in response, Riku shook him out of his head, making the boy blink and push him away. "I did everything I could!" snapped Roxas with finality. "I didn't have enough money!"

In return Riku pursed his lips and shook his head, irritated. Roxas blinked back at him in silence. "When we fought in the Land That Never Was, you were much stronger, Roxas," derided Riku in a murmur, and Roxas' eyes widened as they burned. "I care about Xion," hissed the boy, jabbing his forefinger accusingly into his chest. But Riku turned back to him and stared. "When have you helped her?" he asked. For a moment Roxas stood in shock, jolted into some sort of dreamland. But when he returned to the present, he threw his hands up with a snarl and turned away, dashing down the road as Riku called back to him. With a mean look Roxas glanced back, while Riku asked where Ventus was. In return Roxas raised an eyebrow but responded, "he's not here, he's with Axel." Then, the boy spit on the side of the road, glanced back at Riku with narrowed eyes, and was gone.

Exasperated, Riku sighed and muttered thank you before he returned in the direction of the train. He'd have to go to Disney City now. Unbeknownst to him, as he passed into Main Street, Roxas caught sight of him, his shoulders raised up and down with agitated breath. But the boy shook himself and disappeared into the drugstore as Riku disappeared up the stairs to the train platform with his ticket. As the silver haired boy took his seat on the train, he wondered about Axel. Axel and Roxas had always been great friends, comfortable telling each other anything. Inevitably Riku's mind drifted to Sora, and he felt sad. The boy would never like Riku the same way Riku liked him. That was hard to swallow. As the train stopped in Disney City, Riku jumped out and breathed in the summer air with relish. He walked up to Axel's house counting his money.

Riku had spent more than he'd planned to, riding on the train, though there were still a few coins left in the base of his pocket. When Riku glanced ahead of him again, he smiled. Axel's street was really nice looking. Then again, all of the houses in Disney City looked like a picture from a postcard. But as he walked up the steps to Axel's porch, he couldn't say the same for his mother's dingy apartment. To Riku's surprise, a beautiful, dark haired woman opened the door, looking irritated. "Hello?" she snapped, and Riku glared at her without thinking. "What do you want?" she asked, but Riku sighed, matching her tone of voice. "I want to speak to Ventus," said the boy.

The woman seemed surprised at this but nodded, letting Riku inside. As he looked around Axel's living room she seemed to loosen up. "Sorry," She apologized. "I thought you were a reporter. They keep haranguing us."

"No, it's okay, I understand," Riku conceded, but continued to look around until he noticed Ventus sitting on the top of the stairs, watching him.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Ventus asked, and after a pause of surprise, Riku nodded.

With narrow eyes Ventus examined Riku, before shrugging and mumbling, "then come up," as he disappeared across the hall. Riku followed him up the stairs in excitement, and saw the boy just as Ventus turned the corner into Axel's room. But just as Riku went inside himself, his eyes widened in befuddlement as he observed Ventus lie down on Axel's bed and arch his back to stretch, sighing. When the boy relaxed, his whole body collapsed onto the bed beneath him and he bent both knees up, crossing one leg over the other so that his foot dangled in the air as he looked up at the ceiling. Riku had the unbearable urge to muss up the boy's hair or rub his stomach, or worse, but he'd have to control himself. In embarrassment he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him, pouting. Why did the kid have to lie down in front of him, anyway? Why couldn't he just sit up like any other normal person?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ventus asked, nervousness apparent in his voice, and Riku shook his head and shrugged, going a deep shade of red. "Oh, nothing, it's nothing," Riku grumbled, waving Ventus off, and the boy narrowed his eyes at Riku again. "You just looked kind of angry there."

"Well, there's some serious stuff that I need to ask you," Riku tried in return, but Ventus looked like he wasn't buying it. "And I'm trying to figure out how to ask it," added Riku. Ventus grinned. "Well, tell me when you figure out," he chuckled, lying down as he closed his eyes. After a few short seconds, his eyes flew open again, and he laughed as he caught Riku's glance on him, before the older boy turned away with indignance. "You were looking at me, weren't you?" Ventus cooed, but Riku opened and closed his mouth in protest, trying to think of a way to explain himself.

"I heard that you like boys," Ventus piped up, and Riku covered his face in deep embarrassment. Why was the conversation moving in this direction? He was supposed to be asking Ventus about his past.

"Yes. So has everyone else," Riku sneered in reply, moving back into the tone that he got when he was uncomfortable. With a sly glance Ventus snickered, and Riku felt himself getting upset. If it got any worse than this he would leave.

In sudden decision, Riku resolved to pretend he was in the middle of a crucial investigation requiring incredible stamina. Ventus was the prime suspect, and was thus trying to mess with Riku's mind. Two choices then presented themselves to the silver haired boy. He could both pack it in and quit, implying cowardice and irresolution, or Riku could forge on through deep discomfort. Riku didn't think individuals marked as Masters 'gave up'. So, he stood up, sucked in a deep breath, and readied himself to ask the question he had wanted to ask since he had sat in Yen Sid's office an hour ago. Pacing, he folded his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

"Did you just give yourself a mental prep talk?" Ventus derided, so that Riku could hear himself deflating. Perhaps he was just transparent, but Riku was sure Ventus had a knack for seeing through people. "Sorry to burst your bubble," added the blond, holding both hands up in mock apology, to which Riku sulked, mumbling, "Do you do this to everyone who visits you?" In reply, Ventus grinned. "Yeah. What do you want to ask me?" the boy inquired. Riku sighed.

"I want to ask you about your past," He murmured, and Ventus' grin faded. "What do you want to know?" he muttered. Riku shrugged. "Well, we can start off with Xehanort's experiments on you and your friend, Vanitas."

In disturbance Ventus blinked up at Riku to see if he was serious. When the older boy smiled back at him, though, the blonde's eyes narrowed, while the muscles of his jaw worked as he ground his teeth. "What's it to you?" he muttered, sitting up on the bed, but Riku shrugged again. "I've just been talking with Yen Sid, and-"

Like an animal Ventus sprung at him, throwing him against the wall. Riku gaped with shock as the boy shook him back and forth, looking into his eyes with a smoldering stare. "Who the hell do you think you are asking me that?" hissed the blond through gritted teeth, and Riku shoved Ventus back, his anger mounting. "Don't push me around!" he barked as the boy teetered back against Axel's bed. Then, with lingering ill sentiment, Riku sneered, "I forgot you had brother issues. Lay off me." As he headed for the door, Ventus sat in a daze behind him. But then, the boy's face contorted with rage, and he lunged at Riku with raised fists. Just as Riku turned around to face the bed, Ventus punched him hard in the face, sending the boy reeling back against the opposite wall. Then, Ventus struck again, hitting his opponent as hard as he could in the face, stomach, and arms. Riku struggled with him until he landed a hit to the side of the boy's stomach, not caring that Ventus had begun to cry. Riku's temper had gotten the better of him.

With finality Riku shoved Ventus to the floor and bent close to him, but the younger boy cowered back against the floorboards in between ragged breaths. Then, when Riku touched his shoulder, the boy batted him away with a screech. "What do you want from me?" screamed the boy in hysteria, "are you trying to blackmail me?"

"No, I just want to figure something out!" roared Riku in reply. As Ventus tried to get a final hit at him Riku blocked the strike with his left arm, grabbing the boy's wrist and forcing it backwards.

"What do you want to fucking figure out? Tell me so I can "help" you!" Ventus sneered, and Riku noticed the door opening, and the dark haired woman and Axel running in. As they ripped Riku and Ventus away from each other, the woman shouted, "What is going on?" In reply, Ventus glanced from Riku to the woman, to Axel, before breaking into tears and clinging to the woman's legs through hysteric sobs. Axel blinked down at Ventus as if he didn't know what to do, but Riku rolled his eyes.

"He's trying to blackmail me!" Ventus sobbed, and the woman's face went dark as the boy continued, "He knows about what Xehanort did to me."

"No I do not!" Riku interjected, "That's what I'm trying to figure out!" but the woman shot him a grim look. "You don't say another word," she muttered in a detached, controlled voice, and as Riku's spine pulsed with a shiver, he realized that he had entered a situation way over his head. He watched in silence as the woman rocked Ventus back and forth, who was shaking and crying in punctuated gusts. When Riku had had enough, he took a deep breath and stalked from the room, down the steps, and out the door, stomping down the porch lane with a look that would curdle milk.

The urge to kick over Axel's trashcan entered his head, but he reasoned himself against the action, giving the container one longing look before he continued down the road. When he wiped his face he cursed, realizing that he was dripping blood from his mouth, and that it had dripped onto his shirt. Another colorful phrase escaped Riku's mouth when he glanced down at himself. He wondered if he should go back in the house and ask for a napkin, or if he should just keep walking, whilst pretending that his shirt and face were fine. But as Riku stood contemplating, a hand fell on his shoulder and made him jump in fright, turning him around and raising his hand in preparation of strike. But Riku relaxed when he realized that it was Axel.

"What do you want?" muttered the boy, but Axel stared at him with an unintelligible expression. "What was that stuff Ventus was saying? That you know about his past or something?" whispered the man, as if Ventus were close by, "What was the stuff about Xehanort?" But Riku shrugged. "I don't know. That's what I wanted to ask him about."

"Tell me what to ask," Axel cut in, making Riku furrow his brows in confusion. "Why would you ask?"

"So I can tell you," replied Axel. It was at this moment Riku realized the man was acting rather strange. When he asked if something was wrong, Axel sighed in irritation, breathing, "I've got to get that kid off my back," in an urgent tone. In response, Riku chuckled. "Everyone's got problems."

As Riku said this, he noticed the expression on Axel's face and stopped smiling.

"What do I ask?" repeated Axel. Riku thought for a moment. "He was involved with Xehanort when he was a kid- he was experimented on along with another kid called Vanitas," explained the boy, to Axel's rapt attention. "That's all I really know. I need to know what Xehanort did to him, and about Vanitas."

With a sly grin Axel nodded. "I'll figure out a way to ask him."

"Maybe it will work with you knowing him better," responded Riku. "Maybe you can figure out the right way to ask him." To this, Axel nodded, replying, "Alright. See you around, Riku."

Riku waited for a moment before nodding in return, and then began to leave. "Remember to tell me when you find out!" he called after him. He didn't trust Axel. Suddenly Riku felt as if he'd made a mistake telling the man Ventus' information.

Axel glanced at Riku as he walked away, before turned back to the house with a grin of excitement. With this kind of information, Axel could get Ventus to stay away from him for good. But as he opened the door he noticed Aqua pacing about inside. When he shut the door behind him she glanced towards him.

"Ventus wants to talk to you," She murmured, her tone heavy with curiosity. Nodding, Axel trudged up the stairs sighing in anticipation. Ventus was sitting on Axel's bed with his feet curled up to his chin, staring down at the floor.

"Axel," He gulped, but Axel hesitated going over to him. After stalling, though, the red head sighed and held Ventus, who grabbed hold of him with a tight grip. Axel didn't know if it was the right time to ask about Ventus' past, but he figured that he could at least put the idea in the boy's head.

"Ventus, what was that all about?" he tried, attempting to sound like he really cared. The deep black that shadowed Ventus' eyes when he tumbled into dark thoughts returned to them now, and they stared at Axel as he spoke, his voice heavy with discomfort. "Why do you want to know?" Ventus finally sneered, but Axel gave an immediate shrug in response, abandoning the idea.

"I don't know," he mumbled, trying, "it just made me worried, what with you lashing out like that," but in reply Ventus snickered. "Since when did you care about me?" asked the boy with mock sincerity. Axel blinked, trying to think of what to say, but as he scrambled for the right words, Ventus chuckled louder.

"I know what you want," murmured Ventus, trailing his hands along the tops of his knees, his black irises following their movements as if in a trance. "You want me off your back, don't you?" he added, while Axel rubbed at his eyes, kicking himself for asking anything in the first place.

"Now that I know you haven't even been trying to fall in love with me, I won't let you near Aqua," added Ventus with a big smile, shrugging, "I don't even need to let her be your lawyer."

Sucking in a deep breath at this, Axel's eyes widened with worry as he gulped back his feelings and whispered an apology. Ventus stroked his hair, responding, "I'll give you one more chance, and I mean it. If you mess up again I'll take away everything. I'll have you sent to jail and I'll take Aqua and all of your friends away from you. They trust me more, anyway," he added with another shrug. In fright, Axel stared at Ventus and the boy kissed him on the nose. "And I know about your visits to your friend," he breathed in the man's ear, and Axel's eyes clouded with misgiving. For a long while, Ventus sat across from him on the bed, staring at the red head as he averted his eyes and bit his nails in irritation. "Are you even trying?" growled the boy, when the silence made him grit his teeth, but he received no response. Instead, the quiet of the room pulsed with thought and emotion as Axel pressed his head against the wall near the window and looked out of it with flared nostrils. When impulse persuaded Ventus to reach out and touch his companion, the man caught his arm and pushed it away with control.

"Just leave me alone," Axel muttered. In reply, Ventus shrugged and mumbled 'okay'. But as he departed from the bed, Axel caught him by the shoulder and glanced down at his back in a dazed sort of way, his vision entranced with what lay behind his eyes instead of before them. Turning, Ventus pressed his hand to Axel's chin and raised the man's face up to meet his. Then he kissed him. After he had pulled away, and after ensuing nothingness crept around his throat and constricted the muscles within, Ventus stroked the sides of Axel's cheeks and glanced from his left, to his right eye, searching. "What's wrong, Axel?" Ventus whispered, but Axel turned down his head with ignominy. "Is he hurting you?" asked Ventus, his voice becoming labored, and Axel shrugged, wiping at his eyes. The next question fell from Ventus' lips before he could control the thought it was born of, and as soon as he had said it, Ventus both dreaded and needed the answer.

As Axel raised his ponderous temple, its electric red frame shuddered and fell to the side with the cock of his head. A cool grin crinkled the side of his mouth, then, and the top lids of his eyes shielded them further in guarding. "Relax Ventus," he added, nudging Ventus' shoulder with his own. "It's consensual. Like ours." Though playfulness lubricated the inflection of his speech, the man's eyes burned in their sockets, shocking Ventus' hands away. Letting go of Axel's face and folding his hands over his chest, Ventus inhaled deep breaths to calm himself. Then he scoffed, "well, if you can have an extra boyfriend, so can I," grabbing his coat off of Axel's chair and glancing towards the bedroom door with bright hope.

"Who are you after now?" Axel murmured with remarkable calm, and Ventus grinned wide in return to stop his face from contorting with anxiety. "I'm going to talk to that boy."

With an inaudible chuckle that shook his shoulders, Axel sighed. "Yeah, we can chat about what he says on our next date," mumbled the man, absentmindedly rearranging bits and pieces about his room. Ventus watched him for a moment before he asked, "Why do you want to know so bad?" in reply. But Axel shrugged.

"Well," the man sighed, glancing to the ceiling as if searching for the thought to match his speech. "It seems to be the only subject that _both _of us care about." Then he grinned and smoothed out the covers on his bed, collapsing over them but fidgeting in discomfort. Instead of replying Ventus disappeared from the room and trudged down the stairs, deciding to sit in the kitchen so that he would be alone with his thoughts. As he sat at the kitchen table, he calmed. The tick of the clock that hung over the stove was something he could match his heartbeat to.

…..

Sephiroth sat at his office desk in Shinra Headquarters, Midgar, mulling things over. As he glanced about him he chuckled, and thought to himself how this room had previously belonged to Rufus Shinra, the man whom he had murdered not so long ago. Reading the paper a few paces away from him was Kadaj. With a cough, Sephiroth addressed him and waited for the boy to look up. When he did, his father grinned.

"What is it, sir?" Kadaj asked. Sephiroth chuckled. "You shouldn't call me sir. We're partners now. Father and son team- just like Rufus and the President," He added, but Kadaj stared at him with glassy, uncaring eyes as he responded, "Who are both dead now." Much to the surprise of his son, Sephiroth laughed out loud, inciting his son to glare, through the same glassy eyes that now flashed with transparency.

"What are you looking at me like that for, Kadaj?" Sephiroth sneered. Kadaj narrowed his eyes. Then, he set his paper in his lap and curled his hands into fists, putting his chin up in nervous resolution. "You do not scare me," hissed the boy. Sephiroth ground his teeth. Comments like these made his blood boil, but in this case he chuckled, "You would be if you knew just what I could do to you," in warning. To this Kadaj snickered and bent forward. Impulsively, he snapped, "Like what you did to my mother?" in a whisper, half snide, but also half sincere. For weeks now, he had breathed in the same room as the man who had facilitated Kadaj's decrepit life, and the interaction made him sick. He was certain Xehanort valued him over his father- who wouldn't? But now the pretense was over. Sephiroth jerked the boy up by his shirt collar until their eyes were inches apart from each other. Then he snarled, "Yes," and the daring in Kadaj's eyes disappeared, replaced by masked terror.

Searching Kadaj's eyes and finding nothing of threat, Sephiroth grinned, snarling, "coward," as he left Kadaj silent in the center of the room.

Clenching and unclenching his fists like Aerith had done so many times before, Sephiroth tried to get a bit of calm back into his system. Though he felt anxiety creeping through him, he tried to shake it off as he rounded the corner to his own personal exit out of the building. As he reached the door, the conversation that Master Xehanort and his 'ambassador' had been having returned to the front of his mind. He remembered how the old man had told his assistant not to let Sephiroth near his father. He wondered why it was so urgent to the old man, but Sephiroth could only think of one thing.

Obviously, if Sephiroth visited Hojo, he would discover something about his past that would release him from Master Xehanort's control. The old man would have no power over him any more.

Quickly Sephiroth ordered a small car to pick him up at Shinra's back gates, but when the chauffer arrived to transport him, his master gave him the day off. Then, Sephiroth drove away on his own. The pace of his heart quickened as he pulled up to the Investigation Bureau's headquarters, where his father, Hojo, was being held in preparation for his trial. As the silver haired man drove forward, news headlines blared forth from paper stands across either side of the road leading to the IB building.

"_Mad Scientist Arrested After Years Of Illegal Experimentation On Human Beings!"_

Sephiroth snorted as they caught his eye, hardly noticing the pale-faced picture of his father on their covers. Nobody in the public knew the truth of Sephiroth's birth, thankfully. Up until this point, Sephiroth had survived the arrest and confinement of his father quiet well. But even though Sephiroth's hatred for the man was boundless, as sympathetic pain wrung his heart, though it sickened him that he still had a shred of care for the man.

Parking his car across the road from the headquarters' main steps and paying the parking meter for thirty minutes, Sephiroth crossed the street and mounted the stairs, thinking of how he would approach Hojo. When he reached the lobby of the building, the receptionist was surprised to see him.

"You're Sephiroth, aren't you?" she blubbered, and Sephiroth nodded, paying no attention to her. "I want to visit my father," He snapped, and the receptionist narrowed her eyes but nodded. "Do you want to talk to him in private?" She asked. Sephiroth shrugged.

Upon being led to Hojo's cell, Sephiroth seated himself on a wooden stool at the edge of the prisoner's small bed in deep comfort. It was apparent that the man in front of him had never expected a visit from anyone. His hair was tousled in his sleep, and his old, wiry chest rose and fell with fits of unpleasant dreams. But when Sephiroth kicked the metal legs of the man's bed, Hojo leapt up in fright, huddling to the back wall of his bed with a yelp. When Sephiroth did not move Hojo blinked up at him in disbelief and gaped, reaching out. Sephiroth reeled back in disgust, but stayed rooted in his seat.

"Sephiroth!" cried Hojo, tears welling in his eyes. His son forced a smile. "Hello, father," Sephiroth seethed, and Hojo blinked. "Why are you here?" He said in a dreamlike trance. Sephiroth chuckled in reply.

"I came to visit you," murmured the younger man. "It seems that my 'friend and ally' knows something about me that I don't- and so do you."

"What do you mean?" Hojo asked after a pause of thought. In nervous expectation he bit the ends of his nails, already torn to bloody stubs from his anxiety. As Sephiroth watched him, he rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to find out."

The longer Hojo stared at his son, the more fits of sobs shook his body, until he was sniffling and whimpering with his head bent low. He wiped his eyes occasionally, and not until he had spent five minutes murmuring to himself did he return his gaze to the young man before him. Pointing at his son, Hojo continued, "You know, when you were a tiny baby I knew that you were special. I knew that you'd bring something important to this world. You just needed time. You became a hero."

"I am a murderer," Sephiroth hissed, and the smile on Hojo's face disappeared. "I was a messed up freak because of what you did to me as a child," Sephiroth snarled in addition, causing Hojo to become uncomfortable. Abandoning his chewed nails, Hojo defended himself, saying, "I was trying to make you into something better than any human could ever dream!" with desperation.

"You enjoyed torturing me!" Sephiroth shouted in return, kicking his stool behind him and advancing on the shaking old man before him. Hojo took quick, deep breaths in an attempt to stop himself from passing out or dashing under the bed in escape. "I've atoned for it!" fired the old man on a whim, and it worked. Sephiroth fell silent; sure he was on the verge of discovering what he had come for. "And just how have you done that?" murmured the silver haired man. In response, Hojo blinked up at him with a watery stare, before chuckling and reaching out to touch Sephiroth's face.

"You became so angry! You killed! And I covered it up for you!" Hojo hissed with glee, licking his lips with pride as he continued, "I saved you!" Then, his eyes crinkled into a sneer, and he whispered, "You will always have that to remember!" while Sephiroth gaped at him in surprise, adding things up in his mind.

"_You_ covered up... the president?" Sephiroth asked finally, feeling his sense of control slipping as he stood.

"Yes, yes, of course!" blubbered Hojo, finding the courage to stand before his son, whose eyebrows were knit in confusion. "That is why I stayed on with Rufus Shinra! I didn't want people's suspicions to turn on you!" Hojo blathered on, indicating wildly with his hands. "I gave you a second chance at life! And look at you now! You're a leader! You've gained the respect that you always wanted!"

"Why did you do it, really?" Sephiroth murmured, but in response Hojo fell silent with thought, the manic excitement animating his features previously leaving him. "I did it because," he started, gnawing at his lips nervously. "I did it because... because I loved you." He finished. Sephiroth stood with his back turned and his fists clenched.

"I did it because I was sorry. I wanted you to remember me in a good way," continued Hojo, "I didn't want to be hated by everyone when I died."

"You selfish bastard," snarled Sephiroth under his breath, and Hojo shut his mouth and bent his head. "Now I have to live knowing that you were in control of another aspect of my life," Sephiroth murmured in addition. Hojo shrugged. But when Sephiroth looked back up he smiled.

"You may think that you've done me a great favor by 'covering up' my mistakes," hissed the silver haired man. "But it would have been the same either way. Xehanort still took interest in me regardless of you. You never were, and still are, _nothing _to me," Sephiroth snarled in his father's face. But as he turned he noticed Hojo's mouth twitch up in a slight, nervous grin. "Then why are you so angry?" the dark haired man whispered. Sephiroth pursed his lips. Then, he responded,

"Goodbye, father. Forever. I hope you rot in this little cell. Slowly. And painfully."

With those words the younger man stalked out of the Bureau, his anger mounting towards hysteria inside him. Once he'd broken free of the building and crossed the street, he jumped in his car and returned to Shinra headquarters fuming with rage. When he drove inside the rear gate of his home building, he swung towards the emergency exit double doors and turned off the ignition, shoving the keys in his pockets and bounding up the exit stairs towards his office. The blood red that had invaded his vision upon his discovery of his experimentation before his massacre of Nibelheim returned now as a soft pink haze, blinding him.

Kadaj was still inside when Sephiroth returned, and glanced up in distain as his father entered. "Why did you leave?" Kadaj asked, but Sephiroth held his forefinger up and stared at the boy between ragged breaths. "Don't say another word," snarled the man, and Kadaj froze.

Slowly, the boy stood and put his paper down, attracting the attention of his father, who glanced at him with a questioning look. Ignoring it, Kadaj bowed and moved towards the door, his eyelids pulling back as he observed Sephiroth move away from his desk and towards the door as well. Though Kadaj did not bolt towards his portal of escape, he moved fast, happening upon the handle just as Sephiroth blocked its golden frame. Then, as his father shut the door and walked towards his son, Kadaj glanced at every object in the office. A paperweight. A glass frame. Nothing within his reach. He turned back to his father and held his hands out in front of him.

"Father, I know that you are angry, but we can settle this quietly, equally, calmly. Just give yourself a minute to regain some control-"

As Kadaj said this Sephiroth's lips curled up into a snarl.

"You think I'm not in control?" Sephiroth snickered, and Kadaj wet his dry lips. "Of course you are in control- I just invited you to take a moment to calm yourself."

"You're a liar." Sephiroth snarled, and Kadaj gulped.

"Please calm down." Tried the boy in a peaceful voice. But as Sephiroth advanced upon him Kadaj elbowed the man in the stomach and cried for him to stay back. With a blink of surprise, Sephiroth glanced at Kadaj's extended arm, before his face contorted with rage and he lunged at the young man, knocking his son to the ground and standing over him with fists clenched. As Kadaj tried to stand up again Sephiroth kicked him, and Kadaj felt his lungs burning as the wind was knocked out of him.

"'Please'! Are we trying to be 'accommodating' now? Everyone wants to be on my good side, don't they?" Sephiroth mocked, as the young man in front of him looked up at him in horror.

Kadaj shook his head, holding his stomach with one and holding his other hand up as a shield. "No, father, of course that is not what I mean-"

"I am not your father! I didn't ask for you to be born!" sneered Sephiroth, and pulled up his son by the collar of his shirt. "If I had it my way, you never would have been!" As his father spoke Kadaj felt tears of fear welling in his eyes, and in final pleading, he begged for his father to stay away from him. But Sephiroth ignored him, bending before him and shaking him to command his son's eye contact. "You don't want me now?" the older man jeered, and Kadaj took a deep breath and screamed for help as loud as he could. With a slap Sephiroth replied, "I thought we were partners!" but Kadaj began to struggle, punching his father in his face. He only succeeded in making the man angrier.

Slowly and deliberately Sephiroth released his son from his grip and stood up, trudging towards the office door. When Sephiroth turned the dial above its handle, and Kadaj heard the lock give a resounding click, his eyes grew wide in terror.

"What are you doing?" Kadaj gulped, but Sephiroth moved towards him without a word.

…..

A strange, high-pitched noise a few floors above descended upon Vanitas' ear as he sat reading the paper. The first article was about Hojo's upcoming trial. But interesting as the article was, Vanitas' heightened senses clicked in as he sat up straighter, and he listened. Though Xehanort could not hear the sound Vanitas did, he noted the change in the boy's composure.

"What is it, Vanitas?" asked the old man with suspicion, but Vanitas waited. No other sound came, so he put any thoughts he had about it aside. "I do not know," murmured the young man without care, and returned his gaze to the article. While the dust within Hojo's sandglass petered to its end, so did Vanitas'. He had a mere three weeks to find a cure for himself. Axel's trial was just around the corner, and Vanitas figured that after that was over, he would be able to do a little hunting for himself. Surely the acquisition of the antidote would be complicated.

Xehanort examined the boy as his young yellow eyes glossed over the newspaper before him. "Vanitas," murmured the old man with a sigh, attracting his servant's attention once more. "You have been off lately. Is something wrong with your medication?" Xehanort asked further, but Vanitas gave a quick shake of his head in reply. The old man sighed, before putting the book he held down and looking into the boy's eyes. "You are brave, pulling through with this constant damper looming over you," murmured Xehanort with a cool smile. "I admire you." Vanitas felt a glimmer of pride.

"Thank you, sir. I will work harder," He whispered, and Xehanort chuckled. "Just put it out of mind. It impedes your judgment."

Suddenly Vanitas went stock straight, listening. When Xehanort took notice he raised his eyebrows in curiosity, looking around him. "What is it now, Vanitas?"

"I heard something," the boy muttered in response, agitation coloring his words. "High pitched, I believe it's coming from a few floors above us." To this Xehanort's head snapped up, while his pupils dilated as he murmured, "That is Sephiroth's office."

For a moment the two stared at one another. But as the severity of the situation took grasp of their thoughts, Vanitas jumped up and ran for the door, with Xehanort following close behind. "Stay sir," hissed Vanitas in warning, but Xehanort waved him off. "I will be there in a moment. With ample protection," he stated in addition, tapping his cane as he hurried down the hallway to the elevator. After taking a last look at his master Vanitas ran up the stairs, infuriated with himself for not thinking that the noises would be coming from Sephiroth's room. He should have been thinking.

When he burst into the hallway of the 70th floor and flew towards the door containing Sephiroth's office, Vanitas found that the chamber was locked from the inside. Sweeping out the small communication device he kept on his wrist, Vanitas contacted Xehanort's bodyguards a relayed the situation, adding, "He's locked the door!" with urgency.

"What can you hear?" one of the bodyguards accompanying Xehanort asked across the line, and Vanitas pressed his ear to the door and closed his eyes. "It is he and Kadaj," murmured the boy, listening further. "Kadaj is the one screaming. Sephiroth is shouting but he is saying words. Kadaj is not." But as Vanitas spoke, his eyes widened in realization.

"He's raping him," Vanitas murmured across the line, and there was muffled talking as the guard relayed the information to Xehanort. "Get security personnel up there immediately. Where was Sephiroth before this happened?" Xehanort shouted directly, and Vanitas called in more security. Just as the stairwell door opened up, so did the elevator. Soon twenty men, including Xehanort and Vanitas, where huddled in the hallway, looking to one another for direction. "If we do lose Sephiroth I can't afford to lose the boy," muttered the old man, rubbing his bald scalp in irritation. "The replacements must end with him."

But as Xehanort said this, the office door was unlocked. After calling 'clear', one of the guards stood to the left of the door and kicked it open. Then, as soon as the wood fell back, he tried to enter the room, thwarted when Sephiroth rushed out and punched him hard in the neck, sending the man down. With amazing speed, Sephiroth took down guard after guard, his eyes trained on Xehanort's yellow irises all the while. But when he reached two feet before the old man, Sephiroth grinned and stopped cold. "What do you think now?" the silver haired man mocked, but Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "I think I have entertained a fool," murmured the old master, and Sephiroth's grin turned to a snarl.

Before he could touch Xehanort, though, Vanitas, who had hidden in the shadows, sent him to the ground. Xehanort stood motionless for a second, but then he relaxed, shaking his head and looking down at the unconscious man at his feet.

"Your own son!" he murmured. Then, he moved into the office where Kadaj lay crumpled against the ground, his shoulders and face curled in, while his eyes stared forward dreamlessly. When Xehanort took his cloak off and draped it over Kadaj, the boy flinched and glanced up at him, whispering, "what do you want?" in a slur as Xehanort kneeled at his side. "I am appalled at what that man did to you," replied Xehanort in apology. "I have enlisted his help up till this point, but things have gone much too far." As the old man explained, Kadaj looked away from him with an unintelligible expression.

"I do not want to be a part of this any more," He muttered, and Xehanort glanced towards Vanitas, motioning for him to bring up paramedics. Then, he turned back to the boy in front of him. "Where would you go?" He asked, but Kadaj refused to look at him, instead shrugging.

"You have already betrayed your friends- if you could call them that," explained Xehanort in affected pity. "I recall you saying that your brothers did not care for you. That uncaringness must have been distributed to their other friends, whom you call your own," Xehanort explained, and as he did, Kadaj's head bent. "They could not protect you from the horrors of your past- but here you are with people that can," the old man continued. Kadaj looked up at him with wide eyes. "If you help us, we will help you. We are not asking you for any favors, and you do not have to ask us for any favors," whispered Xehanort. "But if we can help you, we will."

Kadaj thought about it for a moment, before putting his face into his hands. "I am tired," He whispered, and Xehanort sighed. "We all are."

Then, the boy nodded and tried to stand up, but couldn't. "What did he do to you?" Xehanort asked. In response Kadaj looked at the man in horror. "What injuries did he inflict on you?" The old man revised, and Kadaj breathed out in relief. "He broke my leg. He got me in the ribs, the eye, and the head."

After nodding, footsteps plodded to Xehanort's side and a paramedic tapped him on the shoulder. Then, with a sigh, the old man stepped aside as the paramedics brought Kadaj away. In the meantime, Sephiroth was hauled downstairs, to a cell in the basement of Shinra. But while the bodyguards and authorities drifted away, Xehanort was left to linger over his surroundings, with his servant at his side. The old man stepped back and forth over the afflicted area of the room in pursed disgust. Yet when his thoughts drew into different bounds, he turned and signaled for Vanitas to follow him.

As they turned to the elevator and stood inside of it, Vanitas addressed his master. "What will you do next?" asked the young man. Xehanort chuckled. "First I will visit the hotel the girl Naminé is staying in. I have organized two plane tickets for Gehstalia, where her new boarding school is located. I will be away for several days." Then he gripped his cane and raised his head as the elevator light buzzed, alerting them that they had reached ground floor. Vanitas walked beside him as he walked towards the car park asking if he should accompany Xehanort, who nodded. "We will discuss Sephiroth's current condition on our journey," added the old man, and after Vanitas located and drove the car to meet his master, they exited the building gates and drove towards the city center.


	14. Friends

Xion sat by the window in Roxas' room, looking out of it in frustration. She couldn't help feeling betrayed. Memories of Organization 13 flooded back to her, images of people whom she had adored, people who had only been kind when the situation called for it. A knock on the bedroom door jarred her thoughts as she wrung her skirt in her hands. But when she glanced up and met eyes with Roxas she smiled. Smiling back in embarrassment, Roxas tiptoed over and climbed onto the bed, snuggling with her and rocking her back and forth in sudden emotion. Xion stared forward. There was the sound of laughter downstairs. Xion wiped tears from her eyes before Roxas could do it for her. He scowled. Then there was silence.

"Why did you choose to have the party tonight?" Xion asked out of the blue, making Roxas blink in surprise. But his scowl deepened as he muttered, "It's a graduation party. I couldn't just reschedule."

Closing her eyes, Xion bent her head to her chest as Roxas blinked at her in frustration. "Xion, I'm trying my best!" he whined. But Xion's head snapped up as she caught his face in her hands. "Then why don't we run away together," whispered the girl with biting sincerity, her eyes burning. "I'm an expert at it."

While Xion stared at him for an answer, Roxas glanced at his hands with drooping eyes. "Oh Xion," he gulped finally, hiding his head in his hands. "I've never left everything behind."

In sudden disgust Xion hissed, "You're a homebody," to which Roxas retorted, "I am not," with severity. Then, backtracking, he muttered, "And this isn't like you, you're angry with me."

"Fantastic assumption," snapped Xion in response. Roxas' drooping eyes returning to her face. But then they pointed to the ground, water dripping out of their sockets every few seconds. "This isn't like you..."

"You don't know me or yourself well enough to say that," Xion cried in reply. This time, Roxas' tears escaped him and he stood up with mouth agape. "What do you mean I don't know myself?"

With narrowed eyes Xion stared at him, and Roxas stared back at her in defiance. But as the girl searched her friend's pupils for truth, she softened. "I'm sorry," chuckled Xion. "I'm becoming the way I used to be, aren't I?"

Though Roxas continued to stare at her, he did not answer. So Xion coughed and asked, "If Axel and I were five seconds from death and you could only save one of us, which one would it be?"

Roxas' eyes widened, and he opened and closed his mouth, unable to respond. In return Xion chuckled and pointed to his pursed lips. "Neither of us knows who is in your heart."

"You mean yourself and Axel when you say neither of us, right?" Roxas asked. But Xion returned Roxas' previous silence, so that the boy scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets, pacing. "I don't get your train of thought anymore," he mumbled.

Laughter came up from downstairs, and Xion sat back and listened to the talking. When she heard Naminé's name her ears perked up, and she decided to venture out from Roxas' room and see what his friends were speaking about. Though Roxas stayed behind momentarily, he soon crept after her, staying five feet away as she reached the living room and peeked inside. Once she identified the voice talking as Pence's, she was able to catch words.

"Then she said that she was the child of a singer. And she said that she went to an orphanage in Jazzo, among others."

"Isn't that miles away from here?"

"Yeah, it's across a sea, man. It's in this place called Gestahlia, I think."

"Do you think that she was making it up?"

"Why would she just make that shit up?"

"I don't know, for a good story?"

"Pence, you're stretching it."

They continued to talk as Xion entered the room, and when Olette saw her she beckoned for Xion to sit down beside her. As Xion sat down Olette looked at her and tapped her on the shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked, but Xion shrugged. "I'm just interested in the conversation."

"Then she said that she was moved to another orphanage in Cocoon."

"Isn't that in that place that was at war a little while ago? Pulse, or something?"

"Gee, Hayner, did you pay any attention in geography?"

"Not that part!"

Xion examined the party as they joked, until Hayner addressed her directly.

"Hey, Xion, you lived with her, right? Did she tell you any of this?" asked the blond boy, but Xion stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No, no she didn't…" She whispered, and Pence looked around the table with a smug glance.

"She knows I like to tell a good story. So she gave me a good story to tell."

At this Hayner broke out laughing, while Olette smiled. Roxas, who had now joined the party once more, gave Xion a worried glance.

"I don't think that she made it up," Xion piped up, and everyone went quiet. "Maybe it had to be repeated. Maybe it was her last chance to say what was on her heart."

There was a round of blank stares. But then suppressed giggled took hold of the room as the party looked about to see if Xion was serious. Taking the initiative, Hayner laughed first before everyone else joined in, and as everyone held their gut and howled, Xion sat back down with a wry smile. Pence shook his head and shrugged. "Why would she tell me all that? I hardly know her," chuckled the boy. "Up until a few years ago I thought that she was a ghost."

A pain tugged at Xion's chest as Pence said this, and she understood the way Naminé had felt for so many years. Being invisible was difficult. Then, an idea entered Xion's mind and she stepped over to Pence and touched his shoulder. With curiosity Pence returned her gaze as Xion leaned towards him. "Pence, what exactly did Naminé tell you and when did she tell it?" Xion asked. Pence shrugged again.

"She told me that she was the daughter of an opera singer and that she went to an orphanage in Jazzo, then she went to another place called "L'Academie"," explained Pence. "And then while she was on a field trip she came to Nibelhiem and somehow got to the Land That Never Was. Then came Ordination Fifteen, and then Ansem. And that was it. She said it really fast and kind of confusingly so don't take my word for it. It was a little while before some sort of court meeting she had to go to."

As this was said Xion nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Pence. That is nice to know."

"Well, Xion, I am happy to relate it," responded Pence with a bow. "That wasn't my best story telling, though, I have to say. I can change the style to make it much more convincing, if you like."

"The material is what needs changing, Pence," snickered Hayner in reply, but Olette kicked his leg under the table for him to stop. Roxas sat back and watched his friends talk about Naminé, half listening.

"Remember when we were doing our summer project for 10th grade?" Pence piped up, and Olette nodded, huffing, "Of course we all had to do our projects the night before school started!" while Hayner pointed at her accusingly.

"Nu-uh!" He cut in, folding his hands in front of him. "You did yours before that and you never told us."

Olette rolled her eyes. "Of course I did it before! I wanted to see if you could actually do a viable piece of school work without my help!"

"But you ended up sharing your work with us anyway, so you wasted time in the long run!"

"I let you copy off me, and you made a shoddy PowerPoint! Pence did the presentation! At least he was useful!"

"Wait, guys, what was the point of this story anyway?" Pence interrupted, and Olette and Hayner stopped arguing so that Hayner could remember what he had been talking about in the first place.

"Oh, yeah," he piped up after a moment's thought. "The ghost was our original idea. We ended up collecting amphibians by the creek. But, anyway, it was weird how the ghost was a real person! If we had have caught her- now _that _would have been a presentation!"

"Then we made friends with her!" Olette added, while Hayner snorted. "I thought that she was kind of weird. She never talked."

"Hayner, come off it," snapped Roxas finally, but Hayner shrugged. "I'm just saying! That Sora kid was weird, too, but in a different way. He was so… _happy…_" finished the peroxide blond boy, and Olette chuckled. "Is being 'happy' a problem, Hayner? Or do you expect everyone to sit around sulking like you do?"

Ignoring this Hayner continued, "She seemed like she knew so much… like the person who can tell the future in a thriller…" While he jabbered on, Roxas sat by rolling his eyes.

"I like her." Olette chirped.

"No, I like her too, it's just I don't know her well," Hayner tried to redeem himself. "She's a mystery- and she fooled us all, didn't she? Even the person closest to her! Who knew that that was her life?"

"I don't think that she'd want you all shouting it out for the whole world to hear!" grumbled Roxas. But Hayner shook his head in frustration. "I'm not gonna tell anyone! I just find it interesting. Pence was the one who didn't believe her!"

"Well, I wouldn't have believed me!"

"That's because it's you, Pence."

"Well… whatever…"

The subject changed while Xion slipped out of the room and up the stairs, muttering that she was using the bathroom. Instead she returned to Roxas' room and started to pace, thinking perhaps that she had been wrong about Naminé. A wring on the doorbell reclaimed Xion's attention, but as she peeked her head down the hall Olette rushed to the door calling that she would answer it. When she undid the lock and opened the oak portal, though, Olette gasped and turned, meeting Xion's glance at the end of the stairwell. Marluxia stood in the doorway, uncomfortable. A mere moment passed before Roxas rushed into the front room after Olette and told her to leave the three be. She did, and Roxas, Xion, and Marluxia were left to themselves.

As the trio stood in awkward silence Marluxia narrowed his eyes. "Hello Roxas," he murmured. Roxas didn't look at him. "You still angry?" the boy snapped, and Marluxia chuckled. "Don't get on my bad side, Roxas."

"I'm going to get my stuff," Xion sighed, trudging back up the stairs. Roxas followed her.

She paced around again as Roxas entered the room behind her, while he shoved his hands in his pockets and blew out a deep breath.

"I wish that you'd come down more," Roxas mumbled, "You kind of kept to the shadows."

"Were they talking about me?" Xion snapped in response, but Roxas sighed in exasperation.

"No, of course not. They wouldn't talk about you around me."

"Yeah, maybe around others, but not around you?" chuckled Xion, while Roxas sighed. There was silence. But then Xion smiled at him and sat down on the bed.

"I just know what Naminé felt like," explained the girl. "What it was like to be invisible. And then, on top of that, to have everyone forget…" She whispered. Roxas took her hand in his own.

"I didn't forget." He whispered. Xion sighed before murmuring, "Did you have no idea where I went?" so that Roxas pursed his lips and shrugged. "I… you didn't really leave much for me to follow. And then a bunch of stuff happened and I was thrown into all this crazy stuff..." Roxas blathered on, but Xion looked at the ground. "But, you're here now, right?" He reassured. Xion smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"And I'd hate to lose you again," Roxas added, and Xion rested her head in the crook of his neck. "I'll never leave you behind again." Whispered Roxas. Though Xion nodded in return, inside she was afraid.

"Xion!" Marluxia called from downstairs, and Xion stood up. "I've got to go," she mumbled, kissing Roxas' forehead and returning down the stairs to where Marluxia stood leaned on the side of the doorframe. "We've got dinner with Larxene," murmured the man. Nodding in return, Xion called goodbye to Roxas and went out the door, leaving Roxas' forlorn silhouette to haunt the staircase.

The walk to the train station was silent, but when Marluxia reached the ticket booth and paid for Xion's train pass she murmured thank you. Once on the train, though, Xion looked out of the glass wordlessly, as Marluxia put his hand around her shoulder and rubbed it.

"You know, Xion, I am trying my best to be accommodating, but you are being difficult. Could you try to be a little bit more enthusiastic?" He asked. "Can I go to college?" Xion replied. Marluxia pursed his lips. "I wanted an assistant to help me with my flower shop chain," He muttered. Xion smiled and Marluxia blinked in surprise. "Well, I'm already paid for and I'm going to the law school," said the girl in a matter of fact tone. "I could be your lawyer. Why can't Larxene be your assistant?" Marluxia sighed. "We'll talk about it."

There was a ringing in Marluxia's pocket and he raised an eyebrow, taking out his cellphone. When he put it to his ear and asked who was calling, he chuckled as he heard the person across the line. "Larxene, I was thinking about you. Would you like to come over for a victory dinner?" He chattered. "I'm opening up my chain. I'll see you soon." Then he snapped his phone shut and smiled at Xion. "Larxene is going to meet us in an hour." In reply Xion shrugged, staring down at the ground. When she heard Marluxia sigh she looked up at him in curiosity. He was angry. "You expect so much from people," Xion whispered, and she saw anger flare up in Marluxia's eyes, and felt him grasp her hair in his fingers. "You're acting very cheeky for a girl who I can do whatever I want to." He sneered, and Xion glowered at him. "Try me," She hissed, and Marluxia rolled his eyes.

The two met Larxene on their way home, and she smiled when she saw them.

"Well, well, well. The gang is all back together, hah? Is Axel in there?" Larxene asked in feigned nonchalance, but Marluxia shrugged. "He might be waiting on the doorstep. The trial's coming around soon, and he's getting more desperate for help."

"Will you help him?" Larxene asked. In return Marluxia smiled. "If he's good, I will."

"I think you should just say, 'sorry, changed my mind.' He deserves it."

"He has been _very _good though, lately, Larxene," Marluxia said with glee. "You should see the way he toddles around after me. I've got him wrapped around my thumb." Larxene narrowed her eyes at him before gushing finally, "Isn't that just wonderful?" Then she smiled and walked up to Marluxia's door. Contrary to Marluxia's hypothesis, Axel was not sitting on the doorstep. He was not near the house at all. In response to this Marluxia pursed his lips. "Wrapped around your thumb, huh?" laughed Larxene. "Typical Marluxia…"

"Shut up, Larxene." Marluxia hissed in response as he unlocked and opened the door. Once inside he pressed the play button on his answering machine and found that Axel had left the first message. Larxene sat on the couch, scooting around to get comfortable. Xion sat on a chair opposite the couch.

"_Marluxia, I'm really sorry I didn't come over today, but I'm sorting out trial stuff. I am scared and I just want to make sure that I've done everything right; my lawyer wants to call you tonight and talk to you. She says that if all goes well, we could all meet in person tomorrow. So, I hope that all goes well. See you tomorrow, regardless." _

Marluxia sighed in masked frustration, and pursed his lips. "I wonder who his lawyer is."

"I heard that it was a girl," Larxene chirped, and Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "From who?"

"Xigbar." She replied. Marluxia furrowed his brows before responding, "Why did he call you?"

"He wanted to know if I was testifying. I said yes, I was. And then he just said "okay", and we started talking about Axel a little bit."

Marluxia shook his head. "Well, I'm surprised that Xigbar is interested in this stupid trial. Of course he would assume that _you _were testifying."

Larxene smiled at this, and sighed. "Yeah, well when they figure out _who _I'm testifying _for, _they'll all be surprised."

As Larxene sat back on the couch, Marluxia examined her and smiled. "Are you trying to prove something, Larxene?" he whispered. This incited a grimace from the woman. Looking out the window with no expression, she grumbled, "fuck off," so that there was momentary silence. Then Marluxia piped up, "Well, I'm going to get the food ready, and you two ladies can talk while I'm at it." After this was said the man leapt up and disappeared into the kitchen, so that Xion and Larxene were left alone.

Through narrowed lids Larxene stared at her, as if trying to figure out. There was more silence until Larxene spoke.

"I could never understand you. You know, the way you worked," She started quietly, while Xion shrugged. "You never knew me very well." To her surprise Larxene laughed at this. Then, the woman leaned back and rested her head on her fist, which was propped on the arm of the couch. "So what's it like being adopted?" She cooed. "It sucks," Xion responded and Larxene laughed again. "Yeah, you've got this psycho watching over you," then her tone changed, "and I'm being truthful when I say _psycho. _But you're used to it, right?"

Xion stared before furrowing her brows. "I'm sorry?" she asked. Larxene rolled her eyes. "I heard about that guy Sephiroth." This clenched Xion's palms into fists, though the girl nodded with pursed lips. "Well," she explained, "the human being's abilities of adaptation are remarkable." Larxene nodded, shrugging as she murmured, "We do it to survive, right?" There was a kind of understanding in Larxene's voice that surprised Xion, so that the girl chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. Larxene examined her, tracing the contours of the couch arm with her fingers. "You angry?"

"About what?" Xion replied. Larxene snorted and indicated the room. Xion shrugged. There was silence, which Larxene broke with a sigh. "You ever find your mother?"

"No," Xion replied. Larxene was getting irritated with the curt responses. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she narrowed her eyes, scowling. "You're as quiet as Naminé."

Then Larxene smiled. Xion was glowering. "You angry with her?" she cooed. Xion shrugged. "You thought you two were friends, right?" Larxene sighed. Xion did not respond. "See that's what she does, honey," explained Larxene, getting quite comfortable, "she's Susie Strong until she doesn't have someone taking her blows for her- then she's a coward. You weren't strong enough to be her knight in shining armor."

"She had a lot of friends that could have helped her," responded Xion. Larxene chuckled. "What, like Roxas, or Axel, who left you to rot twice? You made the wrong friends. You should have stuck with Lux and I. You've made out like a bandit."

"How?" Xion responded, sitting up straighter. Larxene pointed at her with a smile. "Lux is a afraid of you," the woman whispered with shining eyes. "I can tell. He doesn't know what to do with you."

"Will he let me go to college?" Xion tried. Larxene shrugged. "If you pry enough, yeah. And I'll put in a good word for you."

"Why?" snapped Xion, "Do you want something from me?" In reply Larxene chuckled, "If you're going to be a lawyer down the road, it wouldn't hurt. And it satisfies me to swipe Axel's old buddies away from him."

Xion's shoulders fell as she relaxed, and Larxene noted it with a chuckle as she explained, "You see, me and Luxy are honest about ourselves. We're not good people and we know it, whereas Roxas, Axel, and Naminé all think they're saints because they know _Sora_ and his pals." Larxene laughed out loud at her own joke, rolling her eyes. "Give me a break." Then she glanced back at Xion, adding, "And I feel like you know you're bad." Xion shrugged, furrowing her brows. "I've done bad things," the girl murmured.

"Exactly!" Larxene snapped in response, adding with a snort, "Shit, I'm starting to like you. Oh, and I was wondering about Roxas."

"Roxas is fine," responded Xion, but Larxene waved her off. "No, I don't care about him. I was just thinking that you should kick him to the curb."

"I've been thinking," Xion started, but stopped, embarrassed at her sudden callousness. Larxene returning gape transformed into a smile as she began to giggle, wildly clapping her hands and stomping her feet in laughter. Then she pointed at Xion. "This girl!" she barked, clapping again. "Hey, if it's any consolation he's probably been fucking Axel this whole time, or, the other way around."

Xion's jaw tightened as she remembered Roxas' two year old promise to Axel. She bent her head. Larxene's mouth formed into an 'o', and she nodded in understanding. "You knew, huh? Inside your heart?"

"I don't know," Xion muttered. "And that's just it," replied Larxene, "None of them know because they're unsure of themselves. Ugh, and Naminé's the worst of all." Xion implored her with her eyes and Larxene elaborated, sending herself into a dream world filled with memories.

"The first time she met Axel, and the first time he met her, she was so busy gawking over him that she didn't notice him looking at her. The first time I saw her, I noticed it too. There was something different about her. Something innocent and sweet. Girly, I guess. He was already feeling high and mighty, like angel dust was rubbing off on him." Larxene muttered, turning back to the window.

"Every time I looked at her, though, I just saw myself. I could see in her eyes that she'd had a hard life," continued the woman, as she started to chew on her fingernails. "You think that _Marluxia _is tough? Try growing up with a dad who beats you every fucking second. If I looked at him funny he'd wallop me. And then he did stuff to my sister." Larxene's voice cracked as she said this, and there was more silence before she responded, "But I ran away with my sister. She died on the road because of food poisoning. We were too scared to take her to a hospital because we would have to go back to our dad. We were twins." Added the woman in resentment, readjusting herself. "But I managed to survive on my own. I had a few run-ins. At first I couldn't fight back. But then I learned how. I'm sure you did, too."

Xion was nodding at this. The women glanced at each other with bitter grins before Larxene continued. "When I was brave enough I went back to find my old man and teach him a lesson, but he was dead, too. He'd drank too much one night and hit his head falling down." She broke off at this point, and thought of what to say next, her features becoming softer.

"Axel was the nicest man I'd ever met. He had a few bad spots to his name, but everyone does. I liked him the moment I saw him," Larxene added, snorting, "But you want to know the thing that irritated me the most? How innocent Naminé was. How lucky she was- after everything she'd been through. And that lack of confidence- that lack of strength- that was what was rewarded. Me, who'd busted my ass trying to make something of myself, and she comes along with her little pink cheeks and captivates everyone. She didn't have to do a fucking thing," Larxene hissed with such jealousy that Xion blinked in surprise. "I thought that I'd done it all wrong. But, now we see how things _really _fold out." She whispered, and grinned. "I may miss Axel for the rest of my life, but I've won. I'm going to testify against him. And who knows where Xehanort will ditch Naminé." She added, making Xion freeze. Then, Larxene sighed, standing up and stretching.

"Well, it's nice to finally get that off my chest," The woman chirped, and went over to look at the bookshelf with a soft hum, as if nothing had been said. But Xion could not escape what was on her mind, and after looking at her hands for a moment she glanced back up at Larxene. "I've been let down so much," the girl began, clasping her hands together. Larxene snorted. "Girl, we all have."

"Why did you love him when you knew he'd never love you back?" Xion finally asked. Though Larxene looked on in surprise, her features softened.

"When you love someone you'd lie like shit under their feet and let them step on you as long as you could be around them," Larxene muttered, "until it goes too far." With a meaningful look she glanced at Xion, who pursed her lips and nodded, standing and leaning against one of the walls. "What did you say about Naminé being ditched?" asked the younger woman in addition.

"You still not satisfied?" Larxene joked, shrugging, "well, you know she picked Xehanort because she hates Marluxia _and _because the old man is rich, right?" In reply Xion nodded and Larxene continued. "But Naminé is a sly little witch and she knows a hell of a lot more than she should. When they figure that out, she's dead meat."

"You mean, just in trouble right?" refrained Xion, but Larxene looked over with a cold glance. "No. I mean _dead. _Xehanort didn't adopt her because he felt sorry for her," the woman explained. "He adopted her because she was in his way."

"She's just a little girl," barked Xion in response, but Larxene shook her head. "Xehanort is a well dressed viper. Everyone who knows him fears him. Naminé is finally in over her head."

In curiosity, Marluxia entered the living room and looked from Larxene to Xion, asking if they were alright. In return, Larxene put on a smile and nodded. "We were just reminiscing," She gushed, and Marluxia chuckled and returned to the kitchen, so that Larxene looked back at her dark haired companion with narrowed eyes and a grin.

"He'll probably try to get in your pants tonight," announced the woman with a sigh. "Just give him a good bite and send him on his way." Then she stepped into the kitchen to help Marluxia.

For a few seconds Xion stayed seated, but soon she stood and began pacing, her glance attracted to the hall mirror, which was shrouded in shadow as she passed it. Her reflection was flickering and it scared her. Once she drew in a deep breath she returned to her seat, clenching and unclenching her fists.

…...

A cannon was fired in the royal garden as King Mickey announced his first purchase from Marluxia's flower company, now a chain with new locations opening in various cities throughout the region, and some in the Planet. It was a huge success. Confetti sprinkled through the air surrounding his castle as the king held up his gardening tools in his hands.

"The first flowers from this company that I will be putting into my garden are their striped lilacs, an ingenious innovation on a beautiful flower," announced the King, as he put the first lilac down into the soil of his huge garden. One by one, he planted ten of them, and then stepped up and dusted himself off, removing his gloves as his attendants cheered around him. Then, all filed to the patio where an assortment of cakes and beverages had been laid out for all the guests under a big white canopy. King Mickey stayed behind admiring his handy work before he headed towards his guests. But first, he patted Marluxia on the shoulder and beamed, "Thank you for the flowers," to which Marluxia smiled in return. "I am glad that you made the first purchase of the new chain," added the man. King Mickey whispered something in Marluxia's ear, and both men laughed. Then Marluxia glanced towards Xion, who was standing with Larxene near the hors d'oeuvres.

Placing his hand against the King's back, Marluxia led his liege towards his guests, who turned when their names were called and smiled. King Mickey shook Larxene's hand curtly and then shook Xion's, and as the three older adults spoke Xion watched them. Granted, Larxene said little, though she laughed frequently and sipped at her drink. Xion wondered how well Mickey knew Marluxia and Larxene. It was obvious they'd had previous dealings.

"What are your aspirations, Xion?" King Mickey suddenly asked, jarring the younger woman, who blinked and furrowed her brows. "What?" she mumbled, making King Mickey chuckle, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Xion smiled in response, murmuring that she wanted to be a lawyer. "I've gotten into the law school in Palumpolum," she added, glancing at Marluxia, whose jaw was tight. She smiled at him. "I'd be the youngest student to attend," she explained, "that is, if Marluxia allowed it."

King Mickey glanced at Marluxia with raised eyebrows. "Why would he not?" So that Marluxia scrambled, chuckling, "well, so young and all the way in Palumpolum. It's a scary thought."

To this King Mickey shrugged and beamed at Xion, who grinned back at him, while Marluxia looked from one to the other, rubbing his neck. "She seems an ingenuous girl," interjected King Mickey. With a nervous chuckle Marluxia shrugged in agreement. Larxene watched the exchange with amusement, snorting at Marluxia's discomfort. "Oh, Lux, don't be jealous!" giggled the woman in between slurps of sweet alcohol, and she incited a glare from Marluxia. In reply Larxene slung her arm about his shoulder and grinned, rubbing his arm. "Luxy's not happy with me for telling it like it is," she cooed. With a glance at Marluxia Xion asked, "Larxene, do you want me to get you some water?" and the woman mumbled that she'd get some herself. When Marluxia noticed her going for the punch instead he stopped her and poured her a glass of water, rolling his eyes while Xion stayed behind with the King.

The pair watched Larxene and Marluxia for a few moments, until the king laughed and redirected her attention. "What is it?" Xion asked. But Mickey shrugged and sighed, beaming again. "Your father and his guest are characters." Xion stared back towards Marluxia, who held Larxene by the waist and whispered in her ear. Larxene frowned, but then giggled, and Xion smirked. They seemed a couple to anyone out of earshot. "They're interesting," Xion murmured.

"How are Roxas and his friends?" asked King Mickey. Xion shrugged. "He had a graduation party last night." King Mickey gaped at this and nodded, gasping. "That's right! He's Sora's age, of course!" then the king shook his head. "Time passes so fast. I remember when that boy was just fourteen."

Xion nodded to herself. She remembered when she was fourteen. She met Sephiroth when she was fifteen. Now she was aging backwards. "Why did you pick lawyering?" King Mickey asked. As the man indicated the passageway leading to his garden terrace, Xion shrugged while she walked at his side. "I just want to give people justice," the girl murmured. King Mickey chuckled. "Then you have to be extra careful," he warned, "it's easy to lost sight of the light."

With a shrug Xion grinned, muttering, "It would have been cool to become a guardian of some sort." When she glanced up, she met with the surprised eyes of King Mickey before glancing away. "As in the Mark of Mastery?" the King inquired. Though Xion sighed, "I'm not made for it," in return, King Mickey waved her off, responding, "You'd do just fine. You've got a warrior's spirit."

Though Xion glanced up in surprise she beamed. But her thoughts soon became muffled by the sound of Larxene's rising laughter, as the woman's footsteps became closer. Xion's name was called, and in reluctance Xion parted from King Mickey and moved towards the voice, trying to find Marluxia. When she did locate him, he was leading Larxene by the waist through the terrace with a look of exasperation on his face, which drew a gape from Xion as the girl rushed towards them. "What's wrong?" the girl asked, while Marluxia rolled his eyes and fixed his hair. "Larxene decided to take a few shots before the opening," murmured the man. "And she's had two punch glasses and no lunch."

As Marluxia hauled Larxene back towards the courtyard where the rest of the party was located, Xion examined her. Her black dress straps hung shabbily over her shoulders and her high-heeled feet trudged forward in odd bursts of movements. It was rather embarrassing. But, once Larxene made it to an exquisite lawn chair at the foreground of Mickey's garden, her toes were unshackled from her shoes, and with a sigh of relief she leaned her head back towards the sun. She looked beautiful but slightly disheveled, and as Xion stared from her towards Marluxia she furrowed her brows. "Why did she drink if she was visiting the king?" asked the girl. Marluxia grinned at Xion and patted her head. "Larxene isn't used to involvement with the elite," he replied.

"She was nervous?" murmured Xion, watching Larxene, who sipped the glass of water Marluxia had brought along for her. "Is she prone to drinking?" Xion asked, imagining ensuing nights of hauling Larxene up stairs, holding her hair while she vomited, and then being forced to put the woman to bed amidst shouts of verbal abuse. As Xion rubbed her own forehead, Marluxia shook his head, adding, "She's been despondent lately, due to the trial." Then he chuckled, "As Shakespeare would say; her toothache is giving her trouble." With a frown Xion glanced back at Larxene, who was now napping. "I'll take her home for you," Xion announced to Marluxia's surprise. The man's face crinkled with a grin, and he dissented with a polite suggestion that he would take her home. But Xion shook her head. "You've got a date with the king."

Scowling in reply, Marluxia reached out and touched Xion's shoulder. "Speaking of dates," the man murmured. "You've been cold with me." At the squeeze of his hand Xion froze, chuckling nervously, "I've had a lot to think about." Then she glanced up at Marluxia from under her eyelashes, making him raise his eyebrows. "May I go see Roxas?" she cooed, cocking her head to the side, "after I help Larxene?"

In irritation Marluxia rolled his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. "This relationship with Roxas must end," he muttered in anger before smiling at her in abatement. "How can you maintain it when you're in Palumpolum?" Xion returned the grin with a cool glance, replying, "It's just a date as friends." This made Marluxia relax, and the man nodded for Xion to leave. The girl trudged towards Larxene and whispered that it was time for them to go, and in relief Larxene laughed and let herself be hoisted up and held at the waist. Then, the two women said their goodbyes and left, attracting a few curious glances as they departed the Castle. When Xion asked Larxene the location of her apartment, the woman protested that she would go home by herself. But in reply Xion shook her head in refusal and repeated the question, inciting a scowl from Larxene before the woman mumbled her address in reply. With a nod Xion entered the Royal Train Station in Disney City and purchased a ticket to Destiny Islands. While Larxene slept against the train window, Xion held her shoulder. And when they stopped, Xion led the woman to her apartment and opened the door for the woman, who was beginning to sober up.

As she traveled towards the kitchen cabinet for headache medicine, Larxene muttered to herself, until she located a bottle of pills, taking two without water and sitting on the couch, silent. While Xion picked some clothes off the floor she glanced up at Larxene and asked if the woman wanted any tea. In reply Larxene gave Xion a strange look, but then she shrugged. Taking this as a yes, Xion made the woman tea and scoured the fridge for food. There were bits of sausage, an old salad, and cheese. There were crackers in the cabinet and a pear at the side of the stove. Xion fried the sausage and cut up the pear and cheese. Then she heaped all of the leftovers on a plate, took the tea off the boil, and brought it all in to Larxene, who was sleeping again. As Xion set the food out in front of her Larxene peeked one eye open, then the other, amused and surprised. But when Xion stepped back Larxene snorted and shook her head.

"What?" snapped Xion. Larxene shrugged. "I've got myself a new and improved Naminé," the woman muttered finally, snuggling into the couch and picking up the plate of food. In a flash of anger, Xion leaned over her companion and pointed straight at the woman's nose. "I am not your servant," hissed the girl through gritted teeth, making Larxene narrow her eyes. "I'm here to help you," added Xion. "Eat that and drink the tea. You'll feel better."

"Yes mother," Larxene muttered in return. She glanced up at Xion, who had sat down in the chair across from her, and grinned. "Did you want some pocket money or something? Because I'm broke," she drawled. "I bought vodka last night with the last of it."

Xion nodded, stood up and stretched, heading into the kitchen. She hummed as she put some tea on for herself, then she hunted for Larxene's vodka and dumped it all down the sink. When she returned with her tea Larxene had finished her food and held her cup in hand, blowing on it before she sipped from it. "Well, was I the only one who felt like a royal idiot today?" she announced after the first slurp. Xion shook her head and Larxene grinned. "Good. They were all so fucking pretentious, am I right?" then she snorted and drank more tea. "People like that shouldn't have the right to live."

Xion furrowed her brows but stayed silent. Then Larxene held her finger up, announcing, "and thanks for bringing me home instead of Luxy," as she rubbed her forehead with a dark chuckle. "I didn't feel like dealing with his overbearing affection anyway." Xion's lips curled up at the thought of this statement, but the emotion that colored her face until that point slipped away as she watched Larxene further. The tone of the woman's voice was acidic, biting, intermitted by points of singsong, like candy with a blade hidden inside. The more Xion listened, the more she felt ill.

"I bet Mickey the mouse is secretly an asshole, anyway," Larxene added in a loud snort. "He took all of Naminé's money after she was adopted. And he didn't say a word about her at that party," added the woman in bright excitement, giddy at the ruthlessness of the situation. In return Xion shut her eyes, pursed her lips, and opened them again.

"I've got to visit Roxas before the sun goes down," she murmured. "I'll come back to you in a while with some dinner." With that Xion stood and exited the building amidst Larxene's protests, rushing towards the train station once the door was shut. Palm trees blurred together as a sea of green in her peripheral vision as she charged towards the train station, and once there, in the middle car of the train, Twilight Town became a pink haze of sun and clouds. But Xion looked straight ahead until she was in Disney City, where she crossed over to a train that led her to the Land That Never Was. When its black doors opened and she stepped outside into the neon lit city of her memories, she pulled her hood over her head and straightened up, escaping amongst the familiar streets she had once called home. Rushing past various side streets until she came upon Renoir, she ducked down its set of stairs until she lay amongst its shadowed depths, dodging past loud drunken voices and laughter towards the brick shack. Once its sorry frame materialized ahead, she moved to pull open the front door, jarred when she found it was locked. Cursing under her breath, Xion rattled the door handle and banged on it again. Then, she picked up old cans from the ground and threw them at the second floor window, until it opened and a familiar face glared down at her.

"I'm closed!" the yuppie boy roared, pushing his blond curls away from his glasses, but Xion grinned and pulled her hood away from her face. "I've got a present for you!" she announced, making the boy scowl. He shut the upstairs window as Xion moved back to the front door. A few moments later, there was the sound of a lock undoing, and the front door opened to reveal the boy, who let Xion inside, whipping his head from side to side before closing the door behind her.

As Xion stared around the area, her mouth fell open in shock. The ten tables behind the teller window had been reduced to five, and many of the files had disappeared. "What's happened?" she breathed, but the boy moved past her, beckoning for her to come behind the teller. Discomfort crawled through Xion's chest as the boy went towards the strange door at the side of the teller and opened it. Within were two sets of stairs, one leading up and one leading down. The boy beckoned for Xion to come closer, and Xion obeyed, trudging inside the teller window and towards the boy's side. "Where do you want to talk?" she chirped. The boy shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Upstairs," he muttered. Xion nodded and ascended the stairs to the top floor of the building, waiting for the boy as he maneuvered around her to open the door to the second floor. She blinked in surprise when she saw what was inside.

The upstairs was tiny, with a little kitchen area in one corner and a wireframe bed in the other. In its bent frame slept an old man, who took short, laborious breaths as he dreamt. A coffee table was situated in front of the kitchen window looking out on the city, between two battered chairs, and on it laid piles of documents and a camera. Xion sat in one chair and the boy sat in the other, clasping his hands in front of him.

"You said you have a present for me?" the boy grinned. Xion nodded. "First I want to know what happened downstairs."

The boy nodded, sighing, "I had a little run in with the police last week. I thought you'd ratted me out, but I played cool and they left," then he paused before concluding, "I'm thinking of packing it in. Business is bad with the Investigation Bureau setting up nearby." Then he grinned, holding out his hands. "But I've got your clearance, and you've got the money, right?"

In despondence Xion stared at the boy, before she shook her head. In response, the boy ahead of her blinked his eyes in shock, before her scowled and rubbed his head, jumping up and pacing back and forth. "You know I spend my money on that stuff?" he barked, pointing at Xion in irritation. "You can't lead someone on, you should have told me you couldn't pay!"

"I didn't know I'd get into the situation I've gotten into!" snapped Xion in return. "I've lost money too. I told you I didn't know if I could pay, you chose to ignore it."

There was silence as the boy scrunched his face up in agitation, rubbing the back of his head again and opening and closing his mouth. But soon he gave up and plunked down into his chair, staring out the window with a dull gaze. Xion's eyes were directed to the old man, and she pointed to him in curiosity. The boy looked at him as well, and mumbled that it was his granddad as he turned back to Xion. Xion asked what was wrong in reply and the boy mumbled something unintelligible in return. He did not elaborate and Xion did not pry. Instead, she leaned closer to the boy, before standing up and moving to his side. As she leaned towards him, the boy's eyes glanced up in curiosity, but closed as Xion kissed his forehead. She pulled back and smiled. "I told you I had a present," whispered the dark haired girl. Then, she took the boy's face in her hands and kissed him.

Immediately, the boy embraced her and kissed her back, pulling her onto the chair with him and closing his eyes as he tilted his head against hers. When Xion pulled back, the boy began to kiss her neck, running his hands up and down her back. "Stop," Xion whispered half heartedly, but the boy mumbled something before looking up at Xion as if in a dream. "I said stop," Xion whispered in return. The boy hesitated, but leaned Xion away from him and sighed, clasping his hands around her waist. "You have a guy?" he muttered. Xion tried to respond, but she found she could not, and instead clenched and unclenched her fists.

"I'm sorry," Xion wept, gasping in alarm at the tears that were forming in her eyes. As she lost control and cried luxuriously, the boy stared at her in shock while she hid her face against his shoulder. "Do you want a tissue?" he asked. Xion nodded in reply and the boy jumped up and got some toilet roll from the bathroom, placing it in the girl's hand as he scootched her back onto his lap. Then he rocked her back and forth as she sobbed. When she was finished they sat in silence.

"Dammit," she muttered finally, and the boy glanced down at her. "Headache?" he asked. As Xion nodded, he hopped up and retrieved some aspirin from a cupboard. When he returned with two pills and a cup of water, Xion murmured thank you and set the white spheres against her tongue, washing them down her throat with the water. Then she massaged her temple and closed her eyes. "Thank you," added the girl louder, sniffing as control returned to her. "I've needed that for a long time, now."

"Well I'm pretty useful when it comes to medication," the boy sighed. "I purloin it regularly for my granddad."

Xion laughed without thinking and blushed. "I didn't mean the medication. But that, too," she added with a grin. Beaming, the boy hurried back to Xion and kissed her again, kneeling down in front of her as she leaned towards him and slipped into his arms. Xion closed her eyes and let him hold her as his hands trailed up her shirt, and she felt her body heating as she wrapped her hands around him. Though when his fingers reached her breasts and held them, Xion pulled her lips away and touched her nose to the boy's as he looked into her eyes. "I like you an awful lot," the boy whispered in earnest. Xion nodded. "I know," she mumbled. The boy searched her eyes as his welled up with tears. "But you don't like me back?" he whined. Xion responded, "I do like you, but..." then she trailed off, thinking of Roxas and feeling guilt constrict her throat.

The boy sniffed and nodded. Then he stood up and stepped towards his grandfather's sickbed, rummaging underneath it for a package. When he'd retrieved it he brought the manila envelope back for Xion, who looked up at him in surprise as he laid it in her lap. "Open it," he murmured. Xion stared at him, before glancing down at the package and ripping it open, her eyes widening when she noticed what was inside. "With your contacts you'll look just like her," the boy murmured. Xion shook her head and handed the package back. "I can't pay for it." But the boy pushed it towards her and shrugged. "It's free."

In tears, Xion glanced up at the boy and beamed. Then she murmured, "thank you," again, as she held the package close to her heart.

...

Distracting from the book he was reading, Riku looked out of his small window onto the row of apartments behind his. The alley cat they called Fatty was stalking around for his next prey. Suddenly, it stopped and peered into the distance. Then the rotund beast disappeared behind some bushes. Riku could hear his brother's stereo all the way from the other side of their living space, and he cringed as he heard the volume go up and his brother started to sing.

"Keep it down!" Riku roared, banging on the wall, and in a few minutes, he heard his bedroom door creak open. "You coming in to pick a fight?" snapped the young man, throwing his book to the ground and stretching his shoulders as he stood. But when he turned around, it was not his brother that he saw, but his mother. She was smiling, and when Riku noticed who was standing behind her his jaw dropped.

"Hello, Riku darling!" His mother chirped, and Riku tried not to roll his eyes. "Hi mom," he muttered as she gave him a huge hug, and then went back to the door and put her arm around Ventus' shoulder. "I was just talking to your friend here about you and Naminé!" His mother gushed. Riku tried not to gape at her. "You what?" He snapped, but his mother laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Well it's old news now, Riku!" Then she turned back to Ventus, who was grinning behind her.

"We thought that they were together! But she was really just mooching off of us…"

"Mom!" Riku gasped, running his hands through his hair. "She needed help!"

His mother glanced at him, and then smiled again. "Well, anyway, I just came in to tell you that he was here." Then, she left the boys alone while Riku put his head in his hands, letting out a deep breath. The day he lived on his own couldn't come soon enough.

Without a word Ventus stared at him. Then the boy leaned against the wall and folded his arms in front of him. "Your mom is sweet," the boy commented, but Riku snorted and shook his head.

"It's weird that she doesn't know you're gay," responded Ventus with narrowed eyes. "I thought you would have told her by now."

With a sigh Riku began, "Well, it's harder than you might think, telling a mother when she-" But then his eyes widened in realization as he gasped, "wait a minute!" and eyed Ventus with suspicion. "You're trying to blackmail me, aren't you?" Riku snapped, receiving applause from Ventus in return. "Good job for figuring it out," murmured the boy with a devilish grin. "I didn't have to get mean."

"Just what do you want, Ventus?" growled Riku in reply, but Ventus shrugged, sitting down beside him. "I don't know. I guess I just want you to know that _I _have something on you, too."

After giving Ventus a sharp look in response Riku shook his head. "Ventus, I wasn't trying to blackmail you when I went to see you," he whispered. "I just wanted to figure something out."

"What do you want to 'figure out'?" cut in Ventus. Then he scowled. "Everyone wants to 'figure' everything out, but they have no care for the people they're asking!"

Guilt crept in at Riku as the silence grew. He remembered how just a few days back, he'd visited Fauna and asked about her past life without care for her mental state. Then his mind trailed back further, to his dealings with Sora, DiZ, Maleficent.

"I'm sorry." Riku mumbled, while Ventus snickered. "Well, your little tactic worked, I'm afraid. You've got me over."

There was a pause before Riku jumped up. In his ensuing excitement he hurried over and grabbed Ventus' shoulders, barking, "so you'll help me out?" with a wide grin. But when he saw the expression on his peer's face, he fell silent and stepped back with a mumbled apology. Ventus sucked in short deep breath's to calm himself. "I'm fine," the boy muttered. His eyebrows furrowed with indecision.

"You don't have to tell me anything," Riku tried, but Ventus shook his head and sat down on Riku's bed, stretching out.

"You said that you wanted to know about me and Vanitas?" Ventus murmured, and Riku nodded fast. In reply, Ventus blew out a breath and glanced at the ceiling, commanding his memory. Silently Riku watched as the boy counted back the years of his life. Then, Ventus spoke.

"When I was four I was taken in by Master Xehanort. He saw 'promise' in me. He'd already adopted a boy named Vanitas," Ventus began, and his eyes shone black with memory. "Vanitas was slow. Even though he was my age, I could tell he was different. Xehanort told me that Vanitas was 'neutral'. He said he wanted to transport the darkness from me into Vanitas. It happened in a machine," added the boy in a mumble, closing his eyes. "I felt it seeping out of me." His eyes opened as he continued.

"After they took the dark from me I got sick, so Xehanort thought the experiment was a flop. Then Vanitas got strange- violent and sad. I had nightmares whenever I was near him. He'd turn into a black boar and eat me. I couldn't sleep or eat. I got weaker every day. Then, Xehanort abandoned me, and left me to die in Destiny Islands. To his surprise I recovered, so he let his friend, Eraqus, take care of me," Ventus breathed out. "I made friends, and started a normal life."

"But," Ventus continued, "a couple of years later, after Terra and Aqua graduated, they took the Mark of Mastery Exam. Xehanort rigged the exam so Terra wouldn't pass while Aqua did. After that Terra trusted Xehanort. Eraqus even sent Aqua to spy on Terra out of worry."

"When Terra found out what Aqua was doing, he fought with her and we split up. That's when I met Master Xehanort. He told me about my childhood, and that I 'held the key' with Vanitas. When I returned to Eraqus for answers he tried to kill me."

After taking one look at the gape coloring Riku's face, Ventus collapsed into laughter, and the boy pouted with indignance. "What's so funny?" added Riku in a bark, but Ventus shrugged and stretched.

"When me and Vanitas are together," continued Ventus in a murmur, "it means trouble. He holds half of who I was- the darkness that used to be inside me. When we meet we become one person. As he puts it, we held the key to controlling the 'heart of the world'. But he didn't know the half of it," he added, sucking in a deep breath. "Vanitas is a vessel, an empty box. He was a vessel for the darkness that used to be inside of me, a petri dish that it could grow inside. When the darkness in Vanitas _returned _to me, it took his new personality with it. Vanitas became a shell again, while the darkness inside him ate away at my brain and replaced my personality with his."

As Riku sat by in silence, Ventus shook his head in despondence.

"You can't imagine what it's like, fighting for power over your own body," the boy hissed. "I used every last bit of myself to push Vanitas out. But there's still some left," whispered Ventus, and Riku leaned in closer."

"Vanitas is suffering," snarled the blond, fidgeting. "Every night _I _dream his nightmares. _I _feel emotions that aren't mine."

"When did it start?" Riku asked, but Ventus shrugged. "Not long after Radiant Garden became Hollow Bastion and Ansem disappeared. I had a dream that I was walking towards a cage, and this black, yellow-eyed monster stared at me from inside. Then it bit me, and _then _I was too afraid to move. It started after that dream," he gulped. Terror pierced his eyes as he clawed at the skin around them, his fingers shaking in a fit of emotion while Riku stared at him in awe.

"I wasn't like this before," whined Ventus, staring Riku in the face with an intensity that frightened the boy. "I just want someone to stand up to me, to assure me that I'm _myself_, whatever that is," added the blond with a hiccup as he glanced to the window. Then with a deep breath he stared at his companion once more. "I was going to tell on Xehanort. But he made sure my friends were gone, and that I thought it was my fault."

"I didn't want to _hurt _anyone anymore. So I never told," Ventus whispered. Then he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Then when I was walking home one night I got jumped. My nightmares got worse. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with myself, let alone sleep there. So I picked up a shit boyfriend who," he added in an almost unintelligible mumble, dribbling off into an incoherent mutter as he complained. "I just want my friends back," whispered Ventus, sniffing, and Riku didn't know what to do. The kid was falling apart right in front of him.

"I was relieved when my mom got sick. She'd beg me to forgive her for how she got me. But it was her fault," snapped Ventus, his eyes shining like black beetles. "If I hadn't have been there to meet Xehanort, he wouldn't have used me. He wouldn't have used Vanitas."

"He would have found someone else, Ventus." Riku sighed, thinking about the boy Terra, and about himself, in discomfort. "It had to be you."

"Why did it have to be me?" Ventus snarled, jabbing himself accusingly in the chest, his irises returning blue again as the skin around them grew red and puffy. In exasperation Riku grabbed either side of the boy's face and looked straight into his eyes.

"Because you defeated him, don't you see?" whispered the silver haired boy with a smile. "He tried to use you, but you were too strong! You were the one to do the job. Maybe you paved the way for Sora to do _his _job. And I thank you for that," Riku finished, and Ventus looked at him in a pleasant dream, before seeming to snap out of it.

Then, the blonde's eyes dilated with horror. "Oh my god." He whispered. Then his hands flew to the sides of his head as he repeated, "Oh my god!" in a wail, adding, "I just told you my whole life story!" before letting out a long drawn moan. Then, almost as quickly as he'd begun Ventus dashed away from Riku and tripped over the boy's scattered clothes, yelping as he almost fell over. "The door's behind you," Riku offered, but Ventus shot a glare at him as he stood back up. "Yes I know that," the boy spat, before he charged out the door in a huff with Riku tagging along. Before Ventus could make contact with the apartment entrance door, though, Riku's mother walked in from the kitchen and gave them both a hug.

"So, are you and your new friend going to meet again sometime?" gushed the woman, but while Riku scowled in reply, Ventus' face curled up with an odd grin. "Who knows?" he beamed. Then, he took one look at Riku, grabbed the silver haired boy by the shirt, and suckered his lips onto Riku's own, snogging the silver haired boy passionately before he could make protest. Five seconds passed before the kiss subsided, and when it did, Ventus sang, "see you later!" as he fluttered out the front porch. All Riku could do, as Ventus shut the door behind him, was blink at his mother, who blinked back at him in bewilderment.

"Riku?" She gulped, and Riku noticed that his older brother had seen him too. "What just happened?"

Riku looked down at his feet, and gulped back. "Mom." He mumbled, and his mother folded her arms in front of her. "We need to talk."


	15. A Helping Hand

As Xion walked down the lane, plastic bag filled with flower shop supplies tucked safely under her arm, she spied a familiar silhouette trudge onto the street in front of her. Up until that moment she had been kicking stones while she walked, but when she raised her head and noted the familiar scalp of silver hair bobbing up ahead, she grinned and ran towards it, singing its owner's name as she reached his side.

"Hey, Riku!" chirped Xion as she matched his step. But when her companion turned to face her, her mouth clamped tight in shock. Covering the expanse of the left side of the boy's face was a large bruise.

"What happened to you?" asked the girl in one long breath. "Did someone beat you up?"

In reply Riku sighed. "It was my mother," the boy finally muttered, to which Xion snorted. "What did you do this time, Riku?"

"I told her that I was gay."

Befuddled silence was Xion's response. But soon she gave herself a grim nod and murmured, "she doesn't approve?" to which Riku snorted and pointed to the bruise. When Xion inquired further with her eyes, her companion put on a mean scowl and recalled the events of the previous day with sudden vehemence.

"Ventus came over yesterday and naturally ended up angry. So he decided to kiss me in front of my mother _and _my brother," he clarified, continuing, "Let's just say she didn't take it very well. None of them are speaking to me."

"I'm sorry," Replied Xion, but Riku sighed and shrugged. "It doesn't matter now," the boy muttered. "The day was coming anyway. I had to tell them sometime."

For a moment there was silence as Riku brooded and Xion breathed in the air around them. "Beautiful day," she finally mumbled through a bright smile, adding, "summer is coming in full force." Riku chuckled and shook his head in response. But then he asked, "How is your college journey going?"

"Oh, I'm paid for," Xion snapped, uneasy in reply. "I've just got to convince Marluxia to let me go."

With responding alarm Riku stared Xion down, so that the girl asked him what the matter was. But instead of replying, he shook his head. "So the rumors are true?" asked the silver haired boy. Xion affirmed it when her glance cast against the ground. "Roxas told me," muttered Riku further, "and Sora's been talking about it."

A look of deep discomfort crossed Xion's face as this was said, but she chuckled, replying in a mumble, "Did Roxas tell everyone?"

"I don't know," returned Riku. "But I know he told Sora that he thought Naminé handled the whole thing in a shoddy way." As he spoke Riku glanced towards Xion to gauge her reaction. But the girl just shook her head and scowled. "He had no business saying that," snapped Xion finally, her fists clenched. Riku examined her with narrowed eyes. Then he looked away, pondering. The street they walked upon closed adjacent to Paopu Street, which fed a short ways down into the apartment complex Marluxia inhabited. Discomfort crept at Riku as they turned onto Paopu Street. His own home was in the opposite direction, but against his body's wishes he continued walking at Xion's side in silence. As the girl's feet plodded forward her brows furrowed. Then, the muscles in her face relaxed and she smiled, glancing towards her companion for guidance.

"Remember when you told me I was fake?" asked Xion, making Riku scowl. But before the boy could respond she continued with a shrug, "I don't know why I'm saying this now, but... the reason I was angry was that I believed you."

"I figured," Riku responded, but in return Xion sighed, shaking her head. Then with a chuckle, she murmured, "I thought that I was actually a part of their team. I really didn't even… even _think _of myself being a puppet… until you helped me." As Xion glanced up at him with a distant look, Riku felt guilt again. But his breath of interruption was thwarted as Xion barreled on.

"And then I found Sephiroth and my life was being controlled again! I couldn't even get _out _of my situation without help… without Axel," She breathed, and this time Riku stood silent. "I was so lost... and so was Naminé," muttered Xion, scrunching her eyebrows again. Compassion flickered in her eyes, a strange compassion that was unsure. Riku stared at her eyes as she spoke.

"She looked after me," continued his companion. But then the compassion that had colored the contours of her face disappeared, and her eyes darkened black as she hissed, "but I can't help feeling betrayed, even though I remember their help..."

With a sigh Riku shook his head, causing Xion to glance at him in surprise. "What is it?" she asked, but Riku shrugged. "I don't know," muttered the young man. But his gaze hardened as his feet shuffled closer. "When you say that everyone 'helped you'..." Riku began in a murmur. "It was help without a price. It was selfish," he added, continuing louder, "People don't help each other unless they get something from it!" The intensity of his voice clung Xion's arms to her side. At the movement, Riku's head snapped up and his glance warmed as he finished, "The only person who doesn't work that way is Sora."

"What about Naminé?" chanced Xion, watching Riku with intent as he shrugged again. "You've been around her longer," Riku acquiesced. "But you know as well as I do that two easy years are nothing compared to one hard one."

With a shrug Xion shot back, "Anyone does things they regret under pressure." In response Riku was silent for a moment. Then, he shrugged in return, and cocked his head to the side as he murmured, "Who switched Sora's memories again?" his brows furrowing in mock lack of memory. Xion would not respond, so Riku continued, "Who caused Roxas to be targeted by DiZ? Who caused Roxas to forget about you after you left?"

"Naminé didn't do that!" Xion shouted in response, before Riku fired back, "Having Roxas go after you would have messed up her plan with Sora!"

At this, Xion's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened as, reeling, she remembered. Her firing from Organization Thirteen had been reluctant. The members had seemed to like her, to think she was important. _"I think it is time for you to leave for good," _DiZ had said. _"Leave the people blinded by your gratitude to continue this war without interference." _Upstairs, bright in the light spilling from the window down through the peek of the open door to Naminé's white room, the girl herself had stood, examining her pictures in silence.

"They left me behind because of her?" Xion reiterated, narrowing her eyes in skepticism. But Riku's response was a hard look. "Weak people give in and give up," murmured the boy. "Once I gave in to Maleficent, giving in to DiZ was easy. Naminé gave in to everyone she dealt with. Organization Thirteen offered her freedom, DiZ offered redemption," then with bitter tread he continued, "I only helped you because I wanted to save Sora. Axel searched for you for Roxas. And Naminé housed you to prove her self-sufficiency. Don't you see?" added Riku in a whisper. Xion had her head bent, so that her companion had to lean towards her to see if she was crying. But before he could check she spoke.

"You wouldn't have said that if you hadn't have been angry," whispered Xion. Riku shrugged in return, "I'm just telling it like it is."

"So you're saying everyone is as bad as you think you are?" Xion interjected in a low voice. When she raised her head, her face was clear, and her glance was expressionless, like clean paper. Lost for words, Riku blinked at her as she stepped closer to him. Then, the girl's face contorted with rage.

"Don't worry, Riku," she spat. "I'm sure your knight in shining armor Sora felt like he was doing you a great charity when he broke your heart- and Axel's for that matter!"

"He was thinking of Selphie's wellbeing!" Riku shot back, but Xion fired, "He wasn't thinking at all!" in quick succession, silencing her companion so that she could continue, "and choosing to remain oblivious doesn't make you a saint." This was sincere. But in reply Riku gritted his teeth in anger.

"You don't know anything, Xion," he murmured. "You'll never be real. You'll always just be tagging along."

For a minute Xion stood motionless. But as the boy's shoulders sunk towards self examination, the girl's arm flew forward and slapped Riku hard, bringing him gasping back onto Paopu Street, where he stood dazed, in the opposite direction of where he was headed. Pursing his lips, Riku glanced at Xion before acquiescing, "I deserved that," in a mumble. In reply Xion exhaled slowly and rubbed her forehead with her palm.

"You and I never _really _got along, did we?" she sighed, which made Riku frown. But then a grin twitched the left side of his lips up as he murmured, "Maybe we're too alike." To this Xion chuckled, rubbing her neck.

"I didn't even come to fight," she mumbled.

"I know," responded Riku. Sighing, Xion continued, "_I_ was going to complain about them until..." Then, she glanced towards Marluxia's apartments and picked up the bags she had set on the ground while Riku looked at the flower shop supplies. "What's in there?" he muttered, peering deeper inside the bags. Hiking one of the brown paper bags further up her hip, Xion balanced both containers with one hand as she rummaged through the left bag with her other hand, slipping out a package of seeds. "Seeds and diggers or whatever the hell those things are called."

"A shovel?" Riku responded with a chuckle, and Xion nodded and waggled her finger at him with a warm smile. As she distributed the seeds back inside the left bag and repositioned both on her hips, Riku shuffled his feet in discomfort. "So you are definitely staying with him?" he reiterated. Xion gave him a wry smile as she muttered, "What do you expect me to do?"

Riku shrugged. "I suppose you can't do much now. Can't you change your mind?"

"I don't know," Xion muttered. "I'd have to have a good reason with my background."

More silence pervaded the walk as the pair stopped right before the entrance into Marluxia's apartment complex. With a sigh Xion started to trudge forward while Riku stayed behind, watching her as she walked. "You know," the boy started with a chuckle, "Naminé always seems to end up alright in the end, huh?" Then, smiling he added, "You know that Xehanort guy doesn't seem half bad, even though Yen Sid told me to stay away from him."

As she stopped short, Xion's head snapped up in surprise and she frowned in thought, while Riku patted her shoulder. Once he had said goodbye and began to walk off though, Xion called his name and prompted him to turn. "What would you do?" she asked. In return Riku snickered.

"Don't trust _any _of Organization Thirteen for one. But it's a little late for that."

Xion pursed her lips and watched Riku walk away. Then he stopped and turned back to her, sighing and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Xion," muttered the boy in apology, "I'm sorry that I snapped at you."

Laughing, Xion turned to go. As she began walking away, though, Riku piped up, "oh, and Xion?" causing her to look back. "You're not like that," he said, making Xion furrow her brows in confusion. "Like what?" she asked in response, but Riku waved her off. "It doesn't matter," he added, chancing, "You'll get a big head."

Snorting, Xion shook her head before saying bye and lumbering towards the apartment complex. Though she trusted Riku above anyone else, she wasn't sure if she liked him. Now she wasn't sure whom she liked at all.

…..

With distressed steps Axel waked alongside Aqua, remembering the 'chat' he and Marluxia had had the night before, and Marluxia's irritation. Axel only hoped that Marluxia would forget that vexation when he spoke with the lawyer.

As Aqua nudged the red head on the arm, he felt the same shock go through his body as when she'd first shaken his hand. "Is this the street?" she asked. Nodding, Axel returned, "Should I lead the way?" which elicited a beaming smile of yes from Aqua. When they reached the door, though, Axel allowed his lawyer to take over, moving to the side so that she could knock on the door. Snorting, she murmured, "Do you not like this guy?" In response Axel shrugged.

"He's not one of my favorite people."

Just as Axel said this, the maroon painted door before them unlatched from the inside and was opened, revealing a man with ice pink hair, who grinned. "Well, well, well," he murmured, placing two narrowed eyes on Aqua. "I suppose that you are Axel's lawyer?" he asked. Aqua nodded and moved aside so that Marluxia could see Axel, who bent his head low as she continued, "Yes I am," while Marluxia examined his old peer. "I hope that you can help us. It is of the utmost important that we utilize people we can trust."

"When is the case, exactly?"

"In a week," responded Aqua to the interruption. "We're meeting the prosecuting party tomorrow, unless they decide to stall." As she spoke Marluxia tilted his chin so that he could look upon her closer. "You have lovely hair," He pointed out, so that Aqua ran her hand through it. "How kind," she laughed in reply, adding, "It never seems to do what I want." Marluxia looked over at Axel with a grin before asking, "Would you like to come in and chat?" to which Aqua nodded. Then the party trudged in and sat in the living room, Marluxia spreading himself across the sofa while Aqua took one chair opposite him. When Axel took the other, Marluxia pursed his lips and beckoned for the red head to sit beside him. There was a pause as Axel hesitated and watched, as the smile on Marluxia's face wiped away.

"Aren't you going to sit beside me, Axel?" whispered the pink haired man. Stalling, Axel stared forward. But as the pressure from Marluxia's glance became unbearable Axel trudged forward and plunked down at the pink haired man's side. In response Marluxia wrapped his right arm around Axel's back and stroked his hair, letting his hand slide from the nape of the red head's neck down his back, before his fingers trailed against the top of Axel's jeans. As Axel bit his lip and looked forward without expression, Aqua stared on in surprise. An awkward silence swallowed the room while Axel forced his breathing to steady and Marluxia patted his left hand against his thigh in absentminded rhythm.

"Okay," Aqua intoned, ending it. Frowning, she took out her notebook. "How do you know Axel?" snapped the woman, and Marluxia glanced towards the red head with a smile. "We fuck occasionally," the man sighed, furrowing his brows as he asked Axel, "wouldn't you put it that way?"

While Axel's eyes grew wide in shock, and as his mouth opened and closed like a goldfish's, Aqua sat by with a stony expression. "We were also in Organization Thirteen together, and in Castle Oblivion," Marluxia added. This turn of thought drew a sigh of relief from Aqua's throat, while Axel squirmed as Marluxia's hand traveled down the back of his pants and began touching him. Preoccupied with the notes she was writing, Aqua did not notice.

"I'll have you come down and talk at the precinct, but I'm having this meeting to see where you stand on the investigation, and to get a definite yes or no on whether you'll be able to testify," She explained, and Marluxia bit his bottom lip, mock thinking. "Will I be protected?" He asked, and Aqua nodded in reply. "We can have police stationed in your home." To this Marluxia grinned. Axel wondered what the man was thinking about. "That would be nice," chirped the pink haired man finally. But Aqua glanced towards him with narrowed eyes. "So is it a yes or a no?" She asked. For a moment Marluxia traced his fore and middle fingers around Axel as he thought. Then, with a gritted smile the pink haired man thrust them inside the red head, curling them inwards so that Axel bit his tongue hard to keep from gasping.

"Do you want me to testify?" asked Marluxia in a soft voice as he moved a third finger inside the man, who nodded swiftly. "You haven't said anything. Do you want it?" Marluxia whispered in Axel's ear, and the man closed his eyes in humiliation. "Yes, I want it," He breathed. With an odd expression, Aqua stared at him before closing her notepad. Then, placing her hand over top the pad's cardboard cover, she snapped, "can you come to the police station tomorrow at twelve?" towards Marluxia, keeping her eyes bent against the cardboard cover on her lap. In return Marluxia nodded and removed his fingers from inside Axel. "Yes I can," he said, and stood up, placing the hand he'd used on Axel behind his back. Then he stood as Aqua did and held his clean palm out for Aqua to shake.

For a long while the woman stared at it, her eyes tracing over the contours of the skin as the sides of her lips twitched and curled. But when she raised her hand towards his and grasped it, shaking hard, she smiled. "Axel, let's patch up a few more things before I leave today," the woman announced, and as Axel stood fast in response his knees shook. Nodding, he tried to hide his blush and trudged forward while Marluxia looked on in triumph, chuckling. "See you tonight Axel." He whispered. Axel nodded, mumbling, "yeah," in return as Marluxia reached forward.

A clicking sound traveled into the hall from the front door, and as Marluxia's hand made contact with Axel's head and ruffled his hair, Xion bashed inside the maroon wooded entrance and pushed her way towards the kitchen, shutting the door with her foot and humming as she set the bags on the countertop. "Hey, Lux, I've got the supplies!" she sang, whistling and cracking the bones in her knuckles as she entered the living room. But when her eyes rose to meet those of the people surrounding her she gasped, while when her blue irises met with Axel's greens, her mouth quickly shut again. Axel's own lips hung open as he attempted addressing her.

"Xion?" whispered the red head, before he blinked and rubbed his eyes. "The fuck?" the man added, causing Aqua to close her eyes in exasperation as the young girl stared at her. Then Xion pointed. "Who's this, Axel? A new girlfriend?"

"Uh, _no_," Aqua corrected. "I'm his lawyer." Axel watched her with longing, which Xion caught with a smirk before nodding. "I see."

"Axel will be with us later on tonight," Marluxia added. Xion's response to this was calculated silence. But under her lashes, her eyes moved towards Axel once more, unreadable. Then she turned, and ascended the stairs to her room while Axel looked towards Marluxia in surprise. "Are you two together?" he mumbled. Marluxia shook his head. "I adopted her."

"Axel, we need to leave," Aqua snapped as she barreled for the door, calling a quick thank you to Marluxia, who murmured 'you're welcome', in return. Soon Axel raced out after her and tried to catch up, calling goodbye to Marluxia as well as the man closed his maroon door. Then the red head returned his attention to Aqua, who refused to look him in the face as she trod forward. "Wait up!" called Axel, jogging faster. When he reached her side Aqua whipped her head around and glowered at him.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped, so that Axel's mouth fell open in surprise. "What?" he responded. Aqua narrowed her eyes. "What exactly is your 'relationship' with that man?" She hissed, but Axel shut his mouth and shrugged.

"I'm going to need a better answer than that," growled Aqua.

"Silence is golden."

"Please don't try to lighten the situation," Aqua snapped in reply. "What the hell went on in there?" In response Axel looked away, shutting his mouth tight in the hopes that Aqua would abandon the conversation altogether.

"Is he blackmailing you?" Aqua inquired, so that Axel stopped walking and raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "He's not forcing me into anything," he lied, but Aqua shook her head, keeping her eyes trained on his scowl as she murmured, "The one hurting you is yourself, Axel."

At this Axel's body held taught as a plank, before it softened and he glanced towards Aqua with a pained expression. "What do you expect out of us?" he asked in a murmur, and Aqua blinked up at him in confusion. "Who?"

Snorting, Axel rolled his eyes and held his hands around him, taking the world in his arms. "Us!" he bellowed to the wind, before letting his limbs fall limp as his chin turned to his chest as he continued, "Organization Thirteen." After this he fell silent. But as Aqua would not respond, he decided upon continuing of his own accord, mumbling, "When Organization Thirteen banded up, we recognized that there was something that deeply linked us to one another."

"What was that?" Aqua replied. At first Axel shrugged. But before long he muttered, "We're users," and Aqua shook her head, trying not to chuckle as Axel sank into reverie. "We took the things we did not have originally," elaborated Axel. "We used one another. I used all of them. And now Marluxia and I are using one another and it's none of your damn business," he added in a calm, matter of fact tone. Shrugging again, he folded his hands into his pockets and walked ahead of her.

"Well, I didn't ask for that information, but thank you," snapped Aqua. But as she sped up towards him she added, "and now that you've become accustomed to this behavior, it doesn't bother you at all?" in a depreciating tone, which gritted Axel and made him shoot back, "that's not true!" anger swallowing his features. As the pair stared each other down there was a deep quiet.

"So what happens when Marluxia gets what he wants from you?" Aqua murmured finally. "What if he doesn't testify?"

"You don't know anything," hissed Axel in response, but Aqua pointed at him with a stern hand. "I see things more clearly than you do!" rumbled the girl. "You are immature. Escape the situation instead of wallowing in it!"

"It's harder than you think," Axel returned, to which Aqua sighed, "Only because you are not telling me what I need to know. If you want me to help you you must tell me the full story!"

"Like what?"

"Like what is your relationship with that man?" bellowed Aqua. "And what does he have that you want?"

Before relenting Axel stared at her. Then, his brows furrowed and his shoulders relaxed. "He has tapes from when I was with the organization," muttered the red head. In response Aqua blew out a deep breath and reached for Axel's shoulder, gripping it with strong hold. "Axel, have you seen the tapes?" murmured the woman in a gentle voice, but Axel pursed his lips, breathing faster as he stuttered, "Well... n-no. I haven't..." trailing off as his eyes widened.

"Then you can't even be sure if they're real or not."

"They are real!" the red head fired back. "Organization Thirteen had security cameras set up everywhere!"

"What if they destroyed the tapes so that they wouldn't be found guilty?"

In slight panic Axel stared out on the road ahead of him and gulped, while Aqua looked closely at his eyes. "Tell me what was on those tapes, Axel," She whispered, but Axel did not respond.

"You need to tell me what was on the tapes," Aqua repeated, and Axel closed his eyes.

"I'll tell you people who would know something," Axel muttered. In reply, Aqua nodded.

"Xion," Axel started. "Naminé, Marluxia, Larxene, Roxas, Riku, Sora, Kairi, and a policeman named Croc."

"You went to _him?" _Aqua asked in surprise, making Axel raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"He promised not to start a big investigation," Axel muttered, "I didn't want it to go up in the headlines until everything went my way." As Aqua scribbled the names into her notebook she nodded, adding, "well, we will attempt to sit these people on the witness stand," in a reassuring trill. Watching the woman as she distributed her notebook back into her handbag, Axel asked, "what about you?" In surprise the woman abandoned her rummaging through her purse and looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just wonder what your story is," commented Axel in return. "How you met Ventus and stuff." A smile was Aqua's reply. But as they reassumed walking, she murmured, "If you tell me your story, I'll tell you mine."

Axel nodded as they turned out onto Paopu Street, which fed into Marluxia's apartment, complex. Yet as the mountains to the inlet's west blocked the sun out, Aqua addressed her companion once more. "What about the other members of the organization?" she asked, but Axel chuckled. "They don't like me very much," He muttered, to which Aqua nodded. Taking one last glance at Marluxia's house before they reached the end of the street, Aqua's brows rose as she noticed the black haired girl named Xion peering at them through one of the upstairs windows. When she and Aqua met eyes, the girl's stare lingered. Then, amidst the soft flurry of the windblown curtains, she was gone.

…..

Picking at the soles of his shoes, Lea thrummed his feet against the steps leading down into the living room of Isa's home. Because Lea didn't want to go home while Isa took a nap, he stayed at the top of the stairs in the hopes his friend would wake up. Even though the family did not know he was there, he stayed. After Isa's parents stopped talking about him he would sneak out of their window and climb down the drainpipe. Then he would travel home.

"He's coming over all the time now!"

"Do you want him stuck at home alone? Or worse, roaming the streets?"

"I just think that this is an invasion on _our _family. Just because his fool of a brother can't look after him, doesn't mean we have to."

"Don't be so cold, Rin."

"I'm not being cold! I think that we should set boundaries!"

There was a pause in the conversation, and Lea listened on with eagerness to hear what they would say next.

"Rin, please understand. We agree that his brother is incompetent, but think of his effect on Lea."

"Do you think you are doing him a charity by keeping him around and feeding him?"

"I want to show him the way a proper family treats each other. We must embrace him to teach him to behave."

"I understand what you are saying, but I do not want him over at all times."

"Fine. We'll plan a day a week where he is forbidden."

"Two full days!"

"Alright. Can he come on Saturdays?"

"I want Saturday and Sunday for us."

"Fine, fine. What about Sunday lunch?"

"Daichi! He can eat lunch at his own house!"

Lea sighed. He'd miss Isa's mother's food.

"Dinner is ready, by any means."

A shuffling of feet caused Lea to bolt towards Isa's bedroom. In the process of turning, though, he collided with Isa and collapsed to the ground with his friend in tow. For a moment, they sat in an awkward pile and stared at one another in surprise, before scrambling up as the sound of feet on the stairs. "I thought you'd gone home!" hissed Isa, while Lea shrugged.

"Isa?" His father called up the stairs, and Isa dashed for his bed and pretended to sleep, while Lea hid under his parent's bed.

"Isa, it's time for dinner," murmured Isa's father, and Lea heard the rustle of bedcovers.

"Is Lea gone?"

"He left once you started your nap."

As the two trudged downstairs, Lea slunk to the window and slipped out of it, scuttling down the drainpipe and charging for the family's white picket fence. Once he'd cleared the gate, he swiveled around on the ball of his left foot and slipped to the ground, peeking over the picket and into the dining room window at the front of the home. As Isa's family sat down to eat, Lea thought of the countless time he had joined them, oblivious to whether they wanted him there or not. But as these memories warped in Lea's mind, he sighed and walked away from them, shoving his hands in his pockets as he peered towards his watch.

On a whim, he marched towards Main Street, turning onto its colorful expanse and staring from one shop to the next in curiosity. With some hesitance then, he traveled in amongst them asking for applications. When he wandered into the local ice cream shop he was greeted by a group of children from his school. But the moment they laid eyes on his fiery red hair, and on his green eyes, they began to snigger, sneering, "It's Ponzi Pete," to one another, as they imitated the fat, notorious dog looking thief of the city. Rolling his eyes and clenching his fists Lea avoided their gaze and abandoned his job quest, instead trudging out of the store and away from Main Street towards the sports field, which was a collection of pitches divided by thin white lines. As the road before him lost its paving, he found more gravel to kick with his feet, deciding upon stones to skip across the Fruitball field pond. Crossing pastures of sheep on his way, Lea finally laid eyes on the pond ahead, noticing in his peripheral vision that the pitch adjacent held a practicing fruitball team.

Lea watched the team as they did laps, wondering how old the men within were. Lea had been the most skilled attacker on his high school Fruitball team until the locker room bullying courtesy of Axel's current conviction sullied his game. By the time his coach suggested he try for the city team, Lea had lost his gumption and given up. The last thing he needed his senior year was to be in the spotlight.

"I can run faster than that guy, that guy, that guy, that guy…" he sighed, counting the number of players, but settling on one in particular. "But _that _guy is fast," murmured Lea with a point of the finger. "Oh man, the guy in the back is actually the guy in the front!" He added in excitement, fidgeting back and forth on the balls of his feet. After the team finished their laps they began practicing passes, and Lea watched their technique. Then, overtaken with nostalgia, the boy began to dribble the stone he had been holding in his fingers, careful not to let it touch the ground while also keeping it as close to his body as possible as he ran in circles. It was in this way that he did not notice the team's coach walking towards him until the man was a few feet away. When Lea noticed he had gained an audience, he stopped dribbling, picked up his rock, and put it in his pocket with a silent scowl.

"You're the kid whose brother was in the news!" the man snapped, to which Lea shrugged and turned to leave.

"Why didn't you come to the auditions that were being held last week?" called the coach after him, with folded arms. "Were you sick?"

"I don't play anymore," mumbled Lea in return. At this point the coach had started to trudge towards him once more. "You were that offense player, weren't you?" the man cut in, and Lea nodded.

"It's funny," snorted the coach as he stopped again and shook his head. "I never saw you as a quitter." This time, Lea stopped too, and turned. "I'm not a quitter," the boy hissed. "I just didn't feel like playing anymore." Though his mind wanted to move, and though his head turned, his feet would not pick up. So instead of leaving the coach's side, Lea stood beside the man in awkward silence with his face cast down.

"I suppose you're wondering who I am," the man murmured. "I'm Horace Horsecollar. Twenty years ago I created the first official Fruitball team in Disney City."

In surprise Lea's mind clicked, and he glanced up at the man again, remembering the picture of the Disney City original Fruitball team he had taped into his locker at school. Horace looked much older now, and when he sighed, he whistled. "Did you quit because of all the attention you've been getting?" the man growled, and Lea opened and closed his mouth, scrambling "n-no!" while Horsecollar chuckled. "The boy on fire has fizzled out!" he lamented. With clenched fists Lea snapped, "I am not!" in return, making Horsecollar slap his knee and point at him with an accusing, pointed glance.

"Then come practice with the city team tomorrow!"

As these sweet words filled Lea's ears, his eyes nearly popped from his head. "But I didn't audition!" the boy blubbered, trundling along behind the coach as he returned to his team, but Horsecollar shook his head and walked faster. "_I'll _decide if you're fit for the team tomorrow. If you can't keep up, you're gone."

While Horsecollar reunited with his team, Lea stared after him with mouth agape. The city team was divided into two sub teams so that they could practice against one another. But before they began skirmishing, Lea snorted and abandoned them, stalking off to skip stones.

As he sent the little pebbles in his hands flying across the pitch pond's surface, Lea ran his conversation with Horsecollar through his head. "He won't make _me _play on that stupid team," He mumbled to himself, whipping another stone across the pond water in front of him. "Trying to 'entice' me… what a weirdo… horse face…" he added, and giggled to himself. Then, he stopped and looked at his reflection in the water with a sad frown. "Stop laughing like that!" hissed the boy, slamming a stone into the center of his face, causing it to shimmer and cascade to watery waves. "It's not cool! You're a man now!" When his visage reassembled in the water before him, it shivered and warped so that he looked like a monster. Then it quieted, and the boy inside the reflection stared on sadly, with dark green eyes.

Giving up, Lea sighed again and put his face in his hands. "You used to be funny," he mumbled, thinking of Selphie. As he tried picturing Namine's head on her naked shoulders, he snickered. Then he picked up another stone that lay beside him, running its black surface back and forth over his thumb as he glanced at the surface of the pond again. This time, Axel's flaming locks and glass green eyes stared back at him, contorting with a grimace.

"Why did you quit anyway, man?" Lea mumbled to himself. "You were on the varsity team your first year of high school! You were the best offensive player in the city! And you just quit?" He continued, the stone in his fingers cracking under his grip. "Someone finally cares about you and you're passing them by!" he barked. His vision blurred as he spoke, until his watering eyes formed blobs of liquid, which he banished with a brush of his palms. "People are finally going to see you for yourself!" he went on. From the pond he looked onto Disney City, onto its turrets and rooftops reflecting red gold and blue, the band of primary hues that made up King Mickey's crest, deep luxurious colors which sparkled in the afternoon sun.

In excitement Lea jumped up and charged home, figuring the run would be good practice for the next morning. When he reached his house he barreled into the kitchen and scoured the fridge, rolling his eyes when he saw there was hardly anything to eat. Nowadays Axel was away so much he forgot to get food. So Lea hurried for the money jar that Axel kept under the stairs, slipped out the debit card Reno had given him for emergencies, and trudged towards the grocery store with a wide grin. His mother used to make victory chicken when the boys accomplished goals, and Lea watched her hands as she cooked. So in excitement, on this occasion, he picked out potatoes, carrots, chicken, and other ingredients for stuffing and gravy he would use for his pre-team victory dinner. And by the time he'd returned home and set all of his supplies across the kitchen countertop, his mental cooking hat was well on. Then he got started. But just as the house became rank with the smell of thanksgiving meal, a shrill ring spiraled towards him from the door, and he glanced towards it in curiosity. In reply the doorbell rang again, and Lea scowled as he trudged towards it, wincing as he looked through the peephole, greeted by Ventus' cool blue eye.

Without thought Lea opened the door and snapped, "what do you want?" immediately discomfited at Ventus' lack of reply. With narrowed eyes the blond boy stared at him, before he looked into the house behind Lea's shoulders and shrugged. "Is Axel home?" he cooed, but Lea shook his head. "Are you alone?" Ventus inquired, and Lea rolled his eyes. "What does it matter to you? You've fulfilled your purpose haven't you? Axel isn't here. Goodbye."

As Lea thrust the door forward, its frame stopped short with the help of the toe of Ventus' thick, rubber soled shoe, its catch in the door punctuated by a soft thud. "Can't I come in?" the boy sneered, pushing forward with impressive, steady force, and with pursed lips Lea relented, opening the door in a huff as he trudged for the kitchen. While Lea emptied his edible concoctions onto plates, Ventus wandered around the living room with a soft grin.

"It smells great in here," the blond murmured, and Lea shrugged, responding, "I try," as the food filled plates were set atop the table. Moments passed as Ventus watched the repetitive movements of the setting of the silverware, plates, and napkins with intense scrutiny. Then, without provocation, he sniggered and muttered, "I wish Roxas' mother's cooking looked this good. I feel like I haven't had good food in years." Closing his eyes as he sniffed the food-scented air, Ventus continued, "my old mother's only good trait was her cooking. I could never refuse it."

With a snort Lea replied, "that must have really sucked," chuckling as Ventus' smiling face fell into inexpression. Then with furrowed brows the blond murmured, "Do you have any headache medicine?"

"No," responded Lea flatly. As he moved Ventus examined him with black narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you," the older boy murmured, slipping his hands into his pockets and leaning against the archway of the kitchen with a smoldering expression, "but I came to see Axel and I'm a bit under the weather. I get migraines."

Slamming the glass he had been holding onto the table, Lea stomped towards the cabinet closest to the fridge and rummaged through it, flinging an old box of panadol towards Ventus, who caught it easily and headed for the sink. Without asking he opened the second cabinet from the fridge, and then the third in his search for a glass. Noticing his struggle with pity, Lea trudged towards him and opened the fifth cabinet, handing his companion out a glass and filling it with water for him. "Thanks," murmured Ventus in reply, gulping down the pill and sipping water after it. After he'd gulped down all of the liquid he rubbed at his eyes and sighed absentmindedly. Then, he washed the glass, set it back in its cabinet, and trudged towards the stairs.

"What are you doing?" called Lea in alarm, watching Ventus as he disappeared to the second floor. In reply to his question, though, a voice called down, "I'll wait for Axel in his room," which made Lea scowl as he responded, "come down and eat!" After this, a few moments passed in silence, until Ventus' blond head bobbed back down the staircase towards the kitchen. Giddily but without a murmur, the boy sat at Lea's side and watched as he poured him a drink of striped apple soda, muttering thank you as Lea sat at his side. "So I suppose you and Axel aren't just playing video games up in his room," Lea began, catching Ventus off guard and making the boy look at his food in contemplation. As the blond took a bite and decided he liked it, he continued to eat, muttering in between bites of roast potato and chicken, "it's a mutual arrangement that you don't have to worry about."

"I don't worry about stuff like that at all," responded Lea with a scoff, wiping his mouth with his arm. "I don't give a shit about my brother. He's a dumbass." As he ate Ventus watched him. Then, the older boy asked, "why?" which made Lea roll his eyes and sigh a heavy breath. "Don't even get me started," he muttered through a snort. "He can't hold a job, he depends on money from his older brother to keep him afloat, he never finished college because he was too stupid, his fucking crying keeps me awake at night," snorting louder, Lea speared a piece of carrot and nearly swallowed it whole in his quest to devour everything on his plate. Expressionless, Ventus murmured in response, "He must be going through tough shit." Then a smile flashed across his lips. "Perhaps he's thinking of when he was younger."

"Everyone thinks about that," responded Lea in a snap, adding in quick succession, "But they don't let it take over their lives!" Chomping another piece of chicken and smiling with pride, he pointed to himself. "Strong people get over it and move on. Say, my family fell apart a long time ago and I'm doing just fine."

"Then why did you set the table for five people?" responded Ventus coolly. Freezing, Lea looked into his companion's eyes with a blank stare, and then around the table, looking for confirmation of what he had done. Then, the brazen expression he'd had on his face before slopped into a sad frown, and the boy struggled to keep back tears. In pity Ventus looked on the boy as he attempted to get himself together, but when Lea jumped up to leave the room, Ventus caught him by the arm and squeezed his hand reassuringly. When Lea returned the favor, even wrapping his arms around the older boy in a tight hug, Ventus felt a strange fit of energy travel from his spine into the base of his throbbing skull, spreading searing pain around his temple and to the back of his eyes, which held their gaze on the nape of Lea's neck as the boy sniffed. As Ventus stared, a strong, foreign feeling of dread overcame him and he stumbled back, trying to catch his faltering breath. This dreadful emotion pulsated from deep inside his brain, a cord tying him to something he did not understand.

"Whoa, are you alright?" Lea barked, grabbing Ventus around the waist, and the boy looked up at him as if in a haze. "I just need..." started Ventus in a feverish whisper, and Lea bent closer to his face to hear him more clearly. "I just need... reassure..." Ventus continued. Then, grabbing the neck of Lea's shirt, Ventus reached his lips up and latched them on to those of Lea, tripping as he sent them both tumbling back against the fridge door. As Lea screeched in shock Ventus brought his left arm over Lea's shoulder and placed his right one around the boy's waist, pushing himself forward and letting his knees buckle as he and Lea sank towards the tiled ground. "S-stop!" Lea gasped, but with a sigh of displeasure Ventus grabbed him by the back of the head and pushed him to the ground, falling against him as he kissed the boy's neck in savage sweeps.

While Ventus held him Lea kicked him in the shins and clawed at his face with his hands, but after a brief, pitiful struggle Ventus succeeded in pinning Lea down so that the boy glanced up at him with wild terror. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lea screeched, but as Ventus blinked black dots invaded his vision. "I want to do you," he struggled to respond. In reply Lea's face scrunched up, and tears escaped his eyes. "Fuck off," croaked the boy in defeat, but Ventus closed his eyes and bent over Lea again, trailing his hands towards Lea's pants as the front door unlatched and opened behind them.

"I'm home," called Axel from the front room, and though Lea attempted screaming his name, Ventus clamped his hand firmly over the boy's mouth as his tongue moved down the boy's collarbone. "Lea!" Axel called in irritation, and his footsteps stalked towards the living room as his lawyer trudged inside the front door and locked it behind her. "Axel, someone's cooked dinner," she called, sniffing towards the kitchen with closed eyes. Though his hands were pinned at his side and his mouth was covered with a firm palm, Lea thudded his feet against the ground, prompting the lawyer to open her eyes and glance towards the fridge, where Ventus lay crumpled atop Lea.

There was a gasp as Aqua made eye contact with Lea, and within an instant of her calling Axel's name, the man had whizzed past her and pealed Ventus away from his brother, throwing him into the opposite wall. As Lea scrambled up and darted for the top of the stairs, Aqua ran towards him while he cowered. "Are you alright?" she called, but Lea pointed at Ventus as he huddled his knees towards his chin. "H-he! He gave me hickeys!" the boy screeched, jabbing the underside of his jaw in indication as Ventus snorted.

"Shut up!" Axel roared in response, but with gritted teeth Ventus pressed his hands against the countertop beside the fridge and hoisted himself to his feet, beckoning for Axel to come towards him. "I was just copying your big brother, Lea," Ventus called, grinning at Axel through pressed jaws. "He told me if I didn't tell anyone what he did to me, I could do whatever I wanted." Too angry to react, Aqua took in Ventus' speech with an open mouth, her muscles tensing as she stared from Axel to Ventus in shock.

"If I want to fuck your brother," continued the younger man with rising volume, "I should be just as entitled as everyone else!" as Axel grimaced with rage. "That's not your choice, Ventus!" shouted Aqua in alarm, but her old friend glanced up at her with narrowed eyes and a pointed finger. "Shut up," he snarled, and in disbelief Aqua held the bannister and stared at Ventus, who sneered at Axel through glistening lashes.

"Are you going to make me tell her all the details?" Ventus chanced with a grin. "Or can I do Lea?" His eyes flashed as he spoke, and his fingers twitched with anticipation as Axel stepped towards him. Then, with a deep, staggering breath, the older man sprung forward and knocked Ventus to the ground, punching the boy hard in the stomach. Using both of his legs, Ventus pressed against Axel's stomach and threw the man back so that he could stand up, ignoring the terrified cries of Lea and Aqua in the background as he lunged forward and grabbed for Axel's head. But before the blond could gain hold of the man's fiery red hair, Axel ducked and kicked him hard in the groin, knocking the breath from Ventus' belly as the boy staggered and fell to the ground. Just as Axel's fist sped for Ventus' nose, a sharp pain seared through his arm as it was twisted over his back. Then his legs went from underneath him, and the next thing he knew, Aqua was above him, pinning him to the ground with one leg and arm. Her other arm reached towards Ventus, who sat huddled in a ball at the center of the kitchen floor, watching Axel with burning eyes. Like a cat he slunk forward and raised his fists towards Axel's back, but before his fingers could make contact with the man's skin, Aqua swung her right thigh around and winded the boy hard, sending him down amidst a flurry of coughing.

In surprise, Axel blinked up at Aqua and met her eyes, which penetrated his own in search of truth. Though still aghast, with an awkward chuckle the man tried, "where the fuck did you go to law school?" to which Aqua stared towards him through an unintelligible expression. After taking a good, long look at her client, she cleared her throat, before murmuring coolly, "I want to know the truth, Axel. And I want to know it right now."

Biting his lip in reply, Axel glanced from Ventus, to Lea, to Aqua. But as his eyes met with each of their chalk white faces, he decided that he had had enough of it. With a sigh, he muttered, "You really want to know?" In reply Aqua nodded, so that Axel continued, his face still mashed against the ground as Aqua listened with intent.

"I met Ventus at his 'welcome home' party," started the man. "He tricked me into having sex with him, because I thought he was Roxas." Discrediting himself in bitter embarrassment, Axel continued, "fuck, I knew it wasn't Roxas, but I wanted to believe..." then he coughed and hid his face, barreling on, "he threatened me, and I was already in trouble so I did what he wanted."

"Where does Marluxia come into this?" Aqua whispered, but Axel fell silent. "Tell me!" the woman shouted, and Axel winced, but spoke again.

"I went to Marluxia to persuade him to testify for me, and he said that he had tapes that would help me," murmured the man. Then, with gritted teeth and controlled breath, Axel intoned, "We entered into a partnership. In exchange for his help, I gave him what he wanted. He wanted me to sit beside him when he met you, so I did."

In confused silence Aqua stared from Ventus to Axel, and then to Lea, before her eyes returned to Axel's downcast expression. The man lay beneath her feet limp and lifeless as a ragdoll, and as Aqua stared into his eyes she pitied him. When she glanced towards Ventus, a strange sullen boy looked back at her with a challenging, livid glance. As Aqua's mind pieced things together she stood rigid, trapped in one of the simple, defensive positions she had learned from an old friend years back. Every second of that lesson blared to the forefront of her mind with stunning accuracy. Identify the opponent, his strengths and weaknesses. Keep grounded and be vigilant.

"Ventus," she began, persuading the boy with that one, simple word to look into her face. When he did, she continued in a murmur, "I thought I knew you better than this. What happened to you to make you do this?"

Though Ventus stared up at her with wide eyes, a low hiss erupted from his throat as he clenched his fists and folded his arms over his front. Then he snorted and shook his head. "This bitch backed out and still thinks she's my friend," muttered the boy, an underlay of thick vehemence slicing his every word. Each syllable winced off of Aqua like waves, though, and as they fell against her arms, her hands, and her chest, the glossy haze that had debilitated her melted from her eyes so that she could see clearly.

A flash of black peeled across the room as Aqua lunged for Ventus and slapped him hard across the face, sending him reeling to the tiled floor again. "Don't you dare call me that!" she spat, her face contorted with rage. As the hairs on her arms stood on end and her lips curled back over her teeth, her frame grew monstrous and dark, causing Ventus to cower against the wall in frightened shock.

"Do you want to know why I left you, Ventus?" Aqua hissed, bending towards her old friend with gritted teeth and burning eyes. "My heart tore itself in half twice that day," she continued. "And for the past ten years of my life I have not been able to fix it!" Tears collected in the woman's eyes as she spoke. "The first time was after Terra disappeared," she listed. "The second time was when I deserted you. The reason I left, Ventus, was for you. So that Xehanort would not _hurt _you, because he promised me he would if I stayed. That day was for _you_, Ventus," intoned the woman. Then, her back straightened and her shoulders drew up to her neck in a tense spasm, as her lip curled up in abhorrence, the inevitable kind of revulsion that occurs at the sight of sweetness collapsing to maggots.

"I expected a third heartbreak would be because of my pity for the way you became because of my leaving," muttered the woman with shaking head, trailing off, "But I never expected..." Then she fell silent and cast her head down, furrowing her brows to make sense of everything.

"I'm disgusted," she murmured finally. "My heart is broken I am so disgusted." Covering her mouth, Aqua stepped away from Ventus, away from Axel, and away from Lea. Then, clinging to the throat of her jacket with her hands, she tried to locate her notepad. "I, uh," she began, coughing loudly to break the pin drop silence that had infested the room, "I have things to attend to tonight, so I will see you tomorrow Axel. Goodbye Ventus, Lea," she added, bowing to both boys. Then she turned, picked up her bag, and left the house, shutting the door behind her and hurrying down the lane with her head downturned.

As Axel and Lea watched the woman while she turned down the street, the sound of rubber on ceramic, followed by a flash of blond, caught their ears and eyes. But when they glanced towards the kitchen door leading to the backyard, it was open, and Ventus was gone.

…..

Though Xion tried hard to scrub the stain off of one of Marluxia's shirts, it just would not come off, and she huffed in desperation. Then, as she set the article back into the bath water she had drawn, she felt a hand warp around her waist, and her stomach turned as Marluxia kissed her on the cheek.

"How is my flower?" He chirped, but Xion broke away from him, continuing with the shirt.

"Is she lonely?" Marluxia cooed. Xion looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What's the matter, Xion? Have I done something wrong?" He said in a pouty voice, trailing his fingers through the bathwater that lay beneath Xion's elbows. In response Xion held up the shirt she had been washing. "I can't get the stain out of this," she tried, and Marluxia tutted, shaking his head as he looked at the shirt in front of him. "I think that I have some extra strength washing liquid in a drawer upstairs. I'll get it."

As Marluxia headed for the stairs, he poked his head back down at her. "And Xion?" asked the man, to which the girl responded through up cast eyes. "We'll be having guests over next week."

"Why?" muttered Xion in masked disgust, remembering seeing Axel earlier that day, and Marluxia chuckled. "I'm testifying for your old friend, remember?" he replied, and grinned at her. "I and the imaginary security tapes," added the man with a chuckle, and in confusion Xion glanced towards him again. "What do I care, though?" muttered Marluxia to himself with a shrug of his shoulders. "He can't touch me with my 'protection'." Then the man hummed as he traveled to the second floor for the cleaning liquid.

Just when Xion's fingers closed around the half washed garment once more, she heard a knock on the front door and Marluxia calling down for her to get it. So with a scowl, she abandoned the clothing, wiped her hands on her jeans, and trudged towards the door in silence, unlocking it and firing a loud 'hello' at her mysterious visitor as the door was opened. To her surprise, Axel's lawyer greeted her, standing on the doorstep with a hard expression.

"Can I help you?" asked Xion. Without moving Aqua responded, "I'd just like to ask a question. Do you know if Marluxia had security tapes from when Axel was with Organization Thirteen?"

Though Xion's reply came a short few seconds after, the girl's preliminary silence represented the truth more accurately than any words could have spoken. "He lied about the tapes," she muttered after several moments, to which Aqua nodded, pursing her lips. Then she smiled at Xion. "If Marluxia and Larxene don't testify for Axel, will you?" she asked, but Xion snorted, replying, "Marluxia wouldn't let me."

"Why not?" Aqua responded with passion. Then her lips pursed. "Don't tell me that Marluxia is using you?" she asked, eliciting a grimace from the young girl she stood before. Trying to backtrack, Aqua shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "I didn't mean to scare you!" she blubbered, "I apologize for being forward," but as she spoke Xion stopped her. "I survive for my friends," murmured the girl. A soft smile played across her lips, which made Aqua's fingers curl in distaste. After staring at the young one for several moments, though, the older woman sighed.

"I hope your friends are worth surviving for," muttered Aqua, reaching inside her bag and rummaging around until she located an old, cardboard cover notepad. Tearing a piece of paper out from it and scribbling a number against its lined front, she handed the crumpled leaf to Xion and sighed, "and if you decide you don't want to merely survive, call me. Please think of assisting Axel," she added with the slightest bow. Then she turned on her heel and strutted down the driveway just as Marluxia descended the stairs and stood at Xion's side. Peering out from over her shoulder, he asked who had been there, and Xion responded that it was Axel's lawyer. Wetting his lips, Marluxia murmured in reply, "she is an interesting woman." Then he departed for the kitchen, and Xion hurried into the bathroom to wash Marluxia's shirt, picking it up from the bathwater as she examined its stitching. Perhaps tiny pricked fingers threaded each line of fabric. Or perhaps it was a machine that did it.

The stain on Marluxia's shirt had been from the wine he had drunk the night before, when they had all sat down to dinner at Larxene's apartment. Once the party was finished eating they had played scrabble. Then, drunk and pissed off, Xion and Larxene had descended into a cursing match over a scrabble word which Marluxia thought was a riot. In the progression of his laughter he ended up spilling wine over himself, and as he stood to wash it from his shirt Larxene lamented with Xion about being stuck to men who did not love them the most. She couldn't stand not being the only one and neither could Xion. From the confines of the kitchen sink Marluxia bragged about his most recent date with Axel, while Xion ignored him in disgust. As the pink haired man's account of the incident mounted in detail, Larxene's vehemence grew to a boiling point, until her anger inspired her to throw the scrabble board at Marluxia's face as she slewed the worst insults at him she could think of. In silence Xion examined them, remembering the opening of Marluxia's flower chain, when she had gone to the City That Never Was to pick up her BI clearance.

After returning from the City That Never Was, Xion visited Roxas and persuaded him to come to the clock tower with her. There, he laid his head on her shoulder in sadness and sighed while Xion comforted him. He talked about when he was a little boy. His past glimmered in his heart, along with his time with Sora and his friends from Twilight Town. None of it Xion remembered. Yet the more Xion interacted with Larxene, the more she remembered pieces of herself, or a self she could become. She saw pieces of Naminé, as well. Pitiful pieces that made her sympathetic to the girl, which caused her to want to help her. Perhaps at some point in their lives, wandering people like herself, such as Larxene and Naminé, were put at a crossroads and forced to choose remembrance or forgetfulness. While Larxene had chosen to remember every painful detail of her life, Naminé had forgotten everything.

But Xion's memory stretched back as a long, winding road, strewn with little dogs and boys on bikes, like little lent toys to be left behind. This life was nomadic and bittersweet. But tired of being tired, Xion had stopped to rest and look back on herself, snuggled up inside Naminé's mansion, where she had fallen at last, safe and sound and cared for. The rest of the memory was just walking, forever forwards and back. Because of this memory Xion could understand Larxene better than she could her friends. She knew why she did not want to be like Larxene. The more she grew alike to her; the more she would become her.

Shivering, Xion returned the shirt to the bathtub she had been scrubbing it in and stood up, traveling to the sink to wash her hands. Her reflection stared back at her, not oppressed as she thought it would have looked when she was signing herself away to Marluxia and glaring at Naminé in Disney Castle. The only thing parting the BI clearance lodged inside her pocket from her leg was the inner layer of her jean pockets, a thin strand of cotton. She could feel the raised parts of the card, like little braille pins, brushing against the cotton, glinting off her skin. Even these tiny, insignificant pins held enormous possibility.

Sucking in a deep breath, Xion gripped the sides of the sink and glanced at her reflection once more. "What would the old Xion do?" she murmured.

"I survive for my friends," her reflection whispered back.

...

Lightning sat on the edge of Reno's desk with pursed lips. "I'm not gonna say I told you so, but…"

"You told me so," Reno finished for her, and she shrugged, glancing into the distance with tired eyes. The lack of sleep was finally beginning to show, and as she rubbed at her eyelids and scrunched her brows she sighed, "This case is going nowhere." Reno's response was a snort.

"Zack Fair is in again," Max popped his head in, and Reno nodded, waving him off. "Fine, fine, we'll interrogate him in a minute."

As the two head investigators met eyes with one another, they sighed. Then, standing, they trudged from the office towards the interrogation room. As they walked Reno slipped the picture of the hand of Cetra from his pocket and glanced over it one more time. Lightning scowled at his side.

"Let go of that stupid picture!" She snapped, nearly pulling the interrogation room door from its hinges as she opened it. Indignantly Reno held the picture to his heart as Zack shuffled into the room behind him. "It's a good luck charm now!" the red head defended, to which Lightning retorted, "It's a picture!"

"It's more than a picture to me now!"

In a fit of emotion Lightning stamped her foot on the ground, yelling, "What the hell is a picture of a 'Cetra's hand' gonna do for our investigation? Give us luck?" at the top of her lungs. "My _ass!" _added the woman with passion. Then, trying to pull herself together, she stomped forward and sat in front of Zack, whose head swayed like it had been slapped.

"What did you just say?" breathed the man in a daze, and Lightning chuckled. "Did you hear that 'hands of the Cetra's' rant?" She asked, still irritated, but Zack peered out at her through slightly crossed eyes. "Sorry about that," she finished. But as she examined the prisoner, her eyes narrowed. "Is there something wrong with you?" asked Lightning finally. Zack's immediate response was furrowed brows.

"What did you just say?" he blubbered next, but Lightning rolled her eyes. "There is something wrong with him. He seems high. He's not fit for interrogation," She snapped, "Call the paramedics."

As a commotion thundered up outside the interrogation room, Reno folded his arms in thought and stared Zack down. Then, something clicked in his mind, and he gripped the picture in his hand as he lunged towards Zack. "She said 'hands of the Cetra's'" commented the red head, and as the phrase fell from his lips Zack went out of it again. "It's the words," gasped Reno, to which Max chuckled.

"What, 'hands of the Cetra's'?"

Zack's knees buckled and he swayed before catching himself. "Stop saying that!" He barked, but Max grinned. "Hands of the Cetra's?" He chirped innocently, and Zack swayed again.

"Max, stop messing with him," snapped Reno, which made Max scowl. "Let me have my fun, huh?" the man sulked. "It's been like a dungeon down here for ages."

Glancing from the picture to Zack again, Reno gasped in realization. Then he stared towards Lightning in excitement, waving the picture code in his hands as he whispered, "the picture!"

"What? Tell me Reno!" hissed Lightning in return as she sped towards him. But Reno had already barreled out of the interrogation room and gathered an audience for his victory speech.

"I knew the picture was important- I knew it and every single one of you blindsided me. But this little piece of paper that I kept close to my heart will give us something big. And you won't be able to say I didn't-"

"Get on with it!" Everyone shouted at once, and Reno rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine… anyway, it's obvious that Zack had his memory taken from him by some kind of hypnosis. When you said 'hands of the Cetra's'," he blathered, indicating Lightning, "that was the word code to unlock his memories!"

"So those words must have been something that was said to him," murmured Lightning in reply.

Charging back into the interrogation room with Lightning close behind, Reno commanded Max and Kid to stay at the window as he sat down before Zack, pulling up a chair for Lightning as he did so. When they were both seated, Lightning started speaking first.

"Zack," she murmured, commanding the man's attention before she continued, "I know now that you've had your memory wiped at some point. We just don't know what that point is. So we're going to find out. Would you like to find out?" She asked. Zack nodded.

"Do you remember anything about the words 'hand's of the Cetra's'? Do you remember someone saying that to you?"

As Zack searched his memory, his eyes grew wide with revelation. "It was… Sephiroth. I think Sephiroth said that to me."

"How did you feel at the time?" Lightning implored, and Zack scratched his head, trying hard to remember. "I was confused… it was dark… and I was frightened … He knew something, but I didn't… and for the first time… that scared me…" He pieced together, and Reno thought he had the slightest idea what he was talking about.

"What was Sephiroth to you?" the man asked.

"He was a first class SOLDIER," responded Zack. "He was a hero to all of us in the military organization…" then, as his memory muddied, he murmured, "it's complicated…"

"I have files on it that you can read," Reno commented to Lightning, but she shook her head. "I read them. There was only one sentence describing Sephiroth. It said that he was a commander on a mission to Nibelhiem, and Zack was one of the agents sent with him."

"Yeah, he died saving people from the fire that engulfed the city," responded Reno. In reply Zack chuckled and shook his head. "Some hero," he muttered, and Reno blinked at him. As he stood watching Zack interact with his surroundings, things began to click in his mind. "I think this is the key to snaring Sephiroth," breathed the red head, and Lightning smiled. "And if we've got Sephiroth..."

"…We've got the people behind all of this," Reno finished. Then he grinned at Zack.

"Does this picture, by any chance, spring anything to mind?" he barked, and shoved the picture in Zack's face.

"Wait, you have to expose the patient to samples of the memory one at a time, not all at once, he'll-!"

Before Lightning could say anything else, Zack gave a groan and slumped out of his seat and onto the floor. In response Reno gasped, before charging over to him and feeling his pulse.

"Good news," blurted the red head with a sigh of relief. "He's not dead. Just out cold."

"He may be in a coma, you idiot!" barked Lightning in return, and Reno scowled. "There was only one picture! What did you want me to do? Rip it up and have him piece it together like a puzzle?"

"Well, I'm not the expert," replied Lightning. "Maybe if you had given us time to _get_ one_, _this wouldn't have happened!"

"We don't have time to get an expert in!"

"And we definitely don't have time to wait for Zack to come out of a coma!"

"He might not even be in a coma!"

Max interrupted Lightning and Reno's argument with a loud cough. "Um…" he announced as their attention was directed to his voice. "he's not waking up."

When Lightning glanced at Reno in triumph, the red head rolled his eyes and waggled his finger at her. "Why are you so satisfied with that statement? It's a catastrophe!"

"It's _your _catastrophe," corrected Lightning in return and Reno shrugged, exhaling, "Minor details." Then he rubbed his eyes, commenting, "But, on the other hand, he can't go on trial if he's ill." In responsive thought Lightning sighed. "That is true. But he may be out of the coma by the day of."

"The trial is tomorrow!" snorted Reno. But Lightning shrugged. "He may recover quickly."

Reno pursed his lips. "Well, I guess we'll have to hope for the best. He needs recovery days, doesn't he?"

"That is true."

"So, we'll ask for a few more days- tell them he's gone into a stress induced coma- which technically, it is."

"I think it's more shock than stress, Reno," Lightning explained, "Hundreds of strands of memories just streamed back to him- they're painful ones, too. It'd be like being hit by a truck."

For a moment Reno stared at her, before narrowing his eyes. "Who made _you_ the expert?"

"It's common sense, jerk," snapped Lightning.

Standing a few feet distance from one another, waiting for each to attack, Lightning and Reno stared at each other's pupils until their vision was thwarted by Max's frame, which scooched between the two of them to allay the situation. "I think," announced the man, placing both palms against each other and folding them against the line of skin beneath his nose, "that we are all very, very tired. And very, very irritated with each other. So… I say… we all get some sleep- like Zack is doing right now… and then come back tomorrow, and act like we're over 12 years old."

In embarrassed exhaustion Lightning put her head down and rubbed her sinuses while Reno rolled his eyes, muttering to himself.


	16. Light

With arms crossed at his front in discomfort, Riku waited outside Roxas' house until someone answered the door. When no one did he assumed that no one was there, and decided to visit Yen Sid instead. Just as he began to trudge down the porch steps, though, the door opened to reveal a displeased Roxas.

"What's the matter?" asked Riku, but Roxas rolled his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to elaborate. "Am I stepping in on something?" Riku inquired, but Roxas shook his head again. "No. It's just not really a good time right now," He mumbled. "What is _wrong?_" commanded Riku in exasperation. Scowling, Roxas replied, "Xion stood me up and won't return my calls, and Ventus has been missing since yesterday," with a sarcastic smile, which disappeared as he murmured, "My parents have been worried sick." In response Riku narrowed his eyes. While Ventus was naturally unpredictable, Xion's current behavior was unlike her. Yet though Riku sighed, "sorry," and resolved to visit her, his thoughts lied with Ventus.

"He's just such a… _handful_," muttered Roxas."Everything that's going on right now is a handful." Then, he took a deep breath. "But, it's okay. I'm just worrying myself over something that's not… my fault…" he trailed off.

"I can find Ventus," Riku volunteered, but Roxas snorted. "I have no idea where he is, let alone if he'll even come back. He's been in a terrible mood the past few days. Snarky."

Waving as he went, Riku nodded and turned to go, calling "see ya," as he began to walk away. Soon the familiar sound of a shutting door descended behind him, and Riku peeked back to Roxas' porch steps before hurrying on towards the forest on the outskirts of town. For some reason the boy had a feeling that Ventus was sitting atop the clock tower. But when he remembered how messed up Ventus was and how high up he would be in the air, though, the boy picked up his steps to a light jog. As the line of trees dotting the edge of the city thinned, Riku glanced up towards the clock tower with his palm over his forehead to shield the sun, noticing a little black dot on the tower's left side. Bending his head low in order to sneak inside the behemoth, Riku mounted the stairs as fast as he could. By the time he reached the top of the stairs and felt the sea air wafting towards his face, he was breathing hard. But he gained control of it before opening the door, and slipped out to the clock tower's ledge, where he took a seat beside Ventus.

Sea air wafted towards them from the beach on the outskirts of town in waves, first lifting the tips of their hair, and then blowing against their faces in violent gusts. Until Ventus broke it with a chuckle the two sat in silence. Then, the boy murmured, "Is Roxas worried about me?"

"He's more so irritated with you," Riku responded. "Everyone is."

Ventus shook his head with a scowl. "Whatever. I don't care."

There was silence again, in which Ventus glanced over the tower's ledge and Riku's muscles tensed.

"You scared for me?" Ventus asked with a smug expression, but Riku shrugged in reply, trying to appear nonchalant.

"I wonder if anyone would care if I was dead," murmured Ventus further while Riku tried not to sigh. "What did you do now, Ventus?" muttered his companion, and Ventus' glassed over eyes grew dark and clear as he shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual," the boy sighed. "Tried to rape Lea and lost my best friend. I'm really good at that," added the boy with a wink, the dark rings around his eyes wrinkling up as he did so. Shocked, Riku sat on in dead silence, trying to process the information given to him. It did not make sense. Never had he for one moment thought that Ventus would be capable of actual violence. Words, yes, but actions, no.

"My reasoning is that I had a really bad fucking migraine," chattered the blond further. "The kind that's an out of body experience. Like when your head lunges forward but your soul isn't quick enough to catch up."

"That's a stupid fucking excuse," snarled Riku in reply, disgusted. Ventus fell silent beside him, but smiled. "I've lost another friend, haven't I?" the boy murmured. Riku shrugged, muttering in return, "We weren't exactly friends," to which Ventus conceded with a half nod. Then the younger boy's eyes narrowed further, and his tongue moved against the side of his cheek as he thought. As he glanced over the edge of the tower Riku eyed his every muscle movement like a hawk, watching to see him slip, preparing to catch him if he fell.

"I'm exhausting, aren't I?" Ventus replied, causing Riku to close his eyes in exasperation. But it was only for a moment. Chuckling in return, Ventus shook his head and sighed. "I'll have to find another time to jump."

"Please don't," responded Riku in a mutter. With a snort Ventus shot back, "Why should you care about what happens to me? Is this a charity project for you?" Vehemence colored every syllable a shade darker than they should have been for the boy's light expression. The irises held inside his chalk white corneas were black as coal, swimming though he grinned. For a moment Riku watched Ventus as the boy glared at him. But soon his eyes narrowed into slits as his mouth opened to speak.

"Let me explain this to you," muttered Riku in a low tone. "When you decide to off yourself, you're not just snuffing out a match. You're ruining everyone."

"Who's to ruin when nobody cares?" tried Ventus in response, his frame huddled in the opposite direction of his companion. But soon Riku gripped him by his shoulder and turned him, so that the pair's eyes were trained on each other. "The people who have given their blood, sweat, and tears to make sure you're alright."

Uncaring, Ventus glanced away from Riku towards the horizon once more, taking it in as his peer gripped the sides of his shoulders in his hands. Then with a sigh Riku let go, throwing his arms up in abandon and standing. As he trudged towards the door to the inside of the clock tower, though, he couldn't help but turn back to Ventus and address him. "You want to go for a walk?" asked the older boy. In reply Ventus glanced up at him with a cool stare. Then he shrugged yes and stood, following Riku out of the building and down the stairs.

As the pair walked towards Twilight Town Ventus looked around, trailing his hands along the tops of bushes and over the bark of trees as they journeyed through a small, dense bit of forest on their way past the mansion. A 'for sale' sign stood on a stake in front of it, weathered from use.

"So, what are you going to do with your life once you get out of college?" Ventus asked Riku, who shrugged with furrowed brows. "I'll become a guardian of some sort," muttered the boy, and Ventus snorted. "What's a guardian?"

"A guardian of the peace," responded Riku with gritted teeth. "It's an investigative position, or a military position that takes more than just _fighting_. There's also science and research. Just different ways of defending justice."

Ventus raised his eyebrows. "That entices you?"

Riku thought about it for a moment and smiled. "Yeah, it does," He decided.

"You like 'helping' people, huh? You like being a leader in a crisis?"

"I've had to be a leader in a crisis multiple times," drawled Riku. "I don't necessarily like it, it just comes to me naturally." Then, thinking harder about it, the boy mumbled, "I just want to be able to help people, I suppose."

"You want the praise?" Ventus murmured in reply, and Riku chuckled, shaking his head and sighing.

"Well, I suppose you caught me."

"You feel unappreciated?" inquired Ventus.

Riku pursed his lips and looked away. The two boys were coming towards the cobbled ground that fed into Twilight Town's Main Street now, meaning they were close to Roxas' house, where he presumed their journey would end. Though conversation with Ventus flowed too effortlessly for Riku's liking, the way it took dips and turns depending on the subject the younger boy wanted to brush over, the silver haired boy sighed as the ground changed beneath their feat.

"It's hard being a shadow," muttered the silver haired boy before realizing it.

Ventus nodded, thinking. "So… you still like Sora? Even though he's stealing your spotlight?" he added. This time Riku did not confide. Instead, his mouth shut tight and his arms folded over his chest like a shield. But with a sharp grin Ventus pointed towards Riku, using his index finger as a little blade.

"You see? You _hate _him, yet you still feel the undying need to _defend _him!" Ventus hissed. Then, tapping his chin, he continued, "Is this a ploy to get him to notice you?"

"I'm over Sora," Riku lied in reply, but Ventus caught him quickly. "Yeah right."

"Were you ever in love with someone?" Riku shot back at Ventus. In return the boy shrugged, murmuring through a sudden, pensive grin, "I guess I loved my friends." As memories flooded back to Ventus he looked out onto the horizon in sadness. But, the more time passed the darker his eyes became. "Everyone let me down. And now I let everyone down."

"People don't expect much out of you anymore," Riku muttered in response. This of all truths shuddered Ventus the most, causing him to clutch his hands to his sides as if he had been wounded. Glancing around in sudden inexplicable desperation, the boy hissed, "I want to go home," whimpering, "I don't want to _be _with you people anymore!" But Riku ignored his whining and gritted his teeth as his lips curled back over his gums. As a soft hand fell against his wrist, though, Riku drew back his arm and got into Ventus' face, forcing the stunned boy back against the lesser-paved road behind them.

"You don't have a home!" snapped Riku in irritation. "You want to visit a time in the past that was better- a time that does not exist anymore!" As Ventus cowered, Riku glared at him with flaring nostrils. The way the boy crumpled in on himself, after his selfish lack of remorse and care, made Riku sick. Breathing in and out slowly, Ventus glared up at Riku with a calculated glance. "I know I have done bad things," intoned the boy, stepping forward with careful tread. "But there's a lot of shit I've been dealing with the past few weeks. Things I have not told anyone." As he spoke he winced, touching his hand to his head as if it hurt. With a snarl Riku pushed the boy's hand back and threw it to his side, surprising Ventus so that he stood stock still in shock.

"Take some fucking responsibility," muttered the silver haired boy. Then, with softening resolve, he murmured, "You're going to kill any shred of the old you if you don't figure yourself out."

"What do you know about the old me?" Ventus spat in reply, jolting Riku out of his pontification. A strange expression had overcome the boy's face; his eyes had taken on an ugly beadiness in those moments Riku had missed. Stepping closer, Ventus stopped within two inches of his peer's nose, glancing from one of the silver haired boy's eyes to the next through wide, cold pupils. "You speak about me as if you know me. Do you think I enjoyed molesting Axel's brother?"

"I don't know why you would have done it if you didn't," replied Riku in revulsion. "Well I didn't enjoy it," Ventus responded. "Not for one second." Then he pushed past Riku and trudged forward, feeling the keys to Roxas' house in his pocket with distaste. For a short pause Riku stood in deep thought with his back to Ventus as the boy walked forward. But his resolution moved his feet and opened his mouth.

"You need help, Ventus. Why don't you be a man and admit it?" Riku shouted.

Ventus laughed at this, glancing about as if searching for an audience. There was none, and outside it lay cold and silent. "You think this is all me?" he sighed. Then his hands slipped back into his pockets. "What a joke..."

"I'm not joking," responded Riku. "I want to help you."

Incredulous, Ventus' narrowed eyes glanced Riku over one more time as he let his mouth fall open in a half grin. "I remind you of Sora, don't I?" he scoffed, adding, "We all look at little alike."

Though Riku's shoulders softened in realization of the truth, he stood his ground and stared Ventus down. Like Roxas, there was something inside Ventus that was akin to Sora. In this case, something very small, something mangled and lain to sleep long ago. "Maybe you do remind me of my friend," Riku started, and Ventus glanced over at him in suspicion. Then the younger boy shook his head.

"No one gets what they want, huh?" Ventus sighed. Then he walked back to Riku and held out the crook of his arm. "Well. If you want to help, you can start off by keeping me company tonight," the boy murmured, glancing from the crook of his arm to Riku's in expectation. Riku ignored his eyes, instead nodding and walking ahead of him with a snort. "And where will I be keeping you company?" he asked behind him, to which Ventus shrugged. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled at Riku, scaring the silver haired boy.

"We could stay in the mansion!" Ventus squealed, but Riku shook his head. "No, no _way. _That place used to be Naminé's house. I'm not going to… never mind," He muttered, and Ventus smiled to himself. "I'll just tell Roxas' parents that I'm sleeping over at your place and you can tell your parents that you're sleeping over at ours. Or something along the lines of that."

Riku thought for a moment before remembering a very important fact. "Um, no." he said finally, and Ventus raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" He muttered, and Riku thought of an excuse for himself. "My mom would never let me sleep over at your house," he muttered, causing Ventus to scoff at him. "Why would she care now?" drawled the boy with a shrug, gritting Riku's teeth in irritation again. "You scared?" Ventus asked. Riku ignored him.

Examining him, Ventus grinned, adding, "Why are you so touchy all of a sudden?"

"I just don't want to spend the night with you in a weird abandoned house!"

"Why not?" Snickered Ventus. "It's romantic!"

Riku sputtered for a moment, and then his cheeks became red. Why had he waited so long? Ventus was going to laugh. He should have gone to Axel while he had the chance.

"Riku, what are you thinking about?" Ventus asked, and Riku felt an ache in his heart again. He'd had so many dreams of the way things were going to turn out for him. He never wanted to run from things because of fear, and then make excuses for his fear. "I just can't do this," Riku sighed, thinking about returning to his mother, and what he would say to her. "I've got to go home."

Ventus' bright expression faded away and he nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and going up the steps of Roxas' parents house as the pair came upon them. "Here's my phone number if you need to call me," Riku gave Ventus his number and the boy nodded, and scribbled down his own number on a piece of paper for Riku. "If you need to call me" he muttered, and Riku nodded, waved, and started off home as Ventus shut the door behind him.

Small droplets began to fall from the sky as he made his way home, and Riku sighed as he closed his eyes and turned his head up towards the sky. The world seemed to slow down around him, and he gulped as he thought about his situation_. "You're so quick to give out advice,"_ he thought to himself. _"But are you capable of following your ideals?"_

When he got to his Destiny Islands apartment complex he knocked on his door, waiting. Worry crept in at him when nobody answered, so he checked to see if his mother's car was in the driveway. It was there, like it always was at 6 o'clock when she got home from work. Riku began to bang on the door, but then, he heard a familiar shuffling behind the glass of the door, and a hand like his own opened the door a crack.

"What the hell is going on?" Riku growled, but his brother sighed. "Mom's kicked you out," He muttered, and Riku's eyes widened in terror. "I haven't done anything wrong!" he snapped, trying to continue, but his brother stopped him with his hand. When by accident his palm brushed against Riku's chest, he relinquished it and curled it into a fist against his side, uncomfortable.

"I know but… just, maybe you should give mom some time," His brother tried. "Where will I go?" Riku responded.

"I don't know, stay with your boyfriend," mocked his brother, and something inside Riku broke. "You know what?" he snarled, "I think that I will."

As Riku began to walk away his brother turned back to him with a dark expression. "You better be nicer to me, cause I'm not planning on telling mom what you just told me."

"I'm gonna do him!" Riku shouted after his brother, and the boy behind him shook his head and closed the door.

Riku stomped away from his house as the rain poured down and decided to call Ventus. He could picture the smug grin on the boy's face as he answered and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing." Riku grumbled, looking around him, and then in his pockets to see if he had any money left. "Have you eaten dinner?" he barked across the phone. "Where do you want to meet?" Ventus chirped. Riku scratched his head. "The old mansion," he decided. Then he clicked the end call button. Just as he returned to the train station and got on the train _back _to Twilight Town, the storm decided to take it up a notch and send hailstones upon its unwary victims.

Riku charged out of the train station with little to cover him but his jacket. Then, he made his way down the dirt path that led up by the old mansion. When he got there he launched himself over the gate, down onto the ground below, and bounded towards door, discovering that it had already been opened. He kept his guard up as he crept forward into the softly lit foyer, glancing left and right to see where the majority of the light came from. The living room glowed ahead of him and he trudged towards it, stepping on a paper plate on his way in. Various take out dishes were laid out across the floor ahead of him in a jumbled sort of way, so that he had to skip over many of them to get to his companion. Ventus had already started his meal. When he noticed Riku he shook his head and threw him a blanket.

"Did something happen to you when you got home?" He asked, and Riku began to chuckle, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "My mom."

"She didn't kick you out, did she?"

"Of course she did," Riku grumbled, and Ventus' eyebrows flew up and furrowed together, while his eyes sparkled with a strange glint. "So you're angry with me?" he whispered. It was not an accusation. It was a simple question. But sighing, Riku responded, "It's alright Ventus. I had to tell her sometime."

"I didn't know I'd cause so much trouble," Ventus murmured in reply.

Riku snorted. "Yeah you did, Ventus."

Shrugging, Ventus continued to eat his food, prompting Riku to take some too. When the silver haired boy glanced around he noticed that there was a fireplace in the next room. "We can start up a fire," he announced, gathering up plates of takeout and herding them into the next room with a grin. But Ventus looked on in discomfort. "Are you sure it's safe?" he asked, and Riku nodded. "Yeah, it can't be too hard."

Running outside, Riku picked up wooden odds and ends to put into the fire. It was tough finding dry wood, but he managed, and in twenty minutes the fire was lit and Riku and Ventus sat down to eat while Riku warmed up. With narrowed eyes Ventus watched him by the fire, before crawling to his side and gripping his companion's yellow shirt in his fist. Once his lean tan fingers were encircled around the hem of the fabric, he pushed the shirt upward.

"Ventus!" Riku barked, flinging the boy away. "Cut it out! I haven't even had three bites of the dinner and you're already trying to strip me down."

Scoffing, Ventus folded his arms in front of him and shrugged, before muttering, "I just thought that you could dry your clothes off."

Riku snickered. "Didn't you get wet on the way over, as well?" he asked, pointing to Ventus, who nodded.

"Then why aren't you stripping?" Riku snapped, leaning back against the wall.

For a moment Ventus stared at Riku with a piercing glance. Then, his eyes darkened and he smirked. His hoodie was peeled off first, laid to rest over the mantelpiece atop the fireplace. Then, the tips of his fingers gripped the underside of his shirt and curled it up, revealing his midriff, which was surprisingly muscular. Riku watched as little by little, the soft tan of Ventus' abdomen and chest was exposed. Then, eyes still on Riku's lashes, Ventus peeled his shirt over his head and set it carefully in front of the fire where it would dry, moving his fingers from the cloth to his stomach, resting them against the zipper of his jeans. Just after unzipping them, and right as the hem of his pants was pushed down over his hips, Ventus furrowed his brows. The side of his underwear had caught in the hem of his jeans, exposing his right hip and the top of his thigh. In deep discomfort Riku jumped up and offered to help, hovering his hands six inches away from Ventus' naked sides. With a firm grip Ventus grasped Riku's hands and set them against his hips. Then he caressed the older boy's fingertips and moved his tan fingers up Riku's arms until they rested against his shoulders.

"Are you angry at me for getting you kicked out of your house?" murmured Ventus, trailing his eyes up to meet Riku's. Lost for words, Riku shrugged in response as his own gaze tumbled from Ventus' nose, to his lips, until they rested on the small of the boy's stomach, which curled in and out softly as Ventus breathed. For a long while all Riku could concentrate on was this movement. In, out, in, out. Then, dizzy, he mumbled a half ass warning as he gripped the sides of Ventus' jeans and tried pushing them down past the boy's underwear, which caught again in the jeans' hemming and slid down as well. "Whoa, Riku, slow down," Ventus barked, and Riku's hands flew away from Ventus' sides and hovered over his head in surrender.

"I didn't mean to!" stuttered the silver haired boy, blubbering as he tried to say, "I tried to warn you!"

"Warn me a little louder next time," said Ventus through a laugh, resting one hand on his stomach and the other against his mouth as he guffawed. Embarrassed, Riku folded his hands over his front and attempted to turn away from Ventus. But as his body wheeled around, the younger boy caught him by the hand and turned to meet him, setting his hands against the sides of Riku's face as he set the older boy's lips against his own. Dumbfounded, Riku stood limp armed as Ventus stroked Riku's cheeks and held the kiss in waves of pressure. Then, the boy let Riku go and looked at him through dark irises, laid like black stones into narrowed eyelids.

"It bothers me how at ease you are right now," managed Riku in a mumble, making Ventus' mouth turn in in a slight grin. "I'm used to this," whispered Ventus. Then, leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the side of Riku's neck and ran his tongue over the boy's skin, watching as Riku's eyes closed and as his brows furrowed.

In his head, Riku was running around in circles, from one side of his mind to the other. Torn between what he should do and what he wanted to do, instead of touching Ventus he stood still and tense in self-control.

"Are you hungry?" asked Ventus. Riku shook his head, so that Ventus smiled and chuckled. Standing this close, Riku could peek out from under his eyelashes and notice the dark rings that had formed underneath the boy's eyes in the past weeks. "Have you not slept in a while?"

"I can't sleep," murmured Ventus in return. Though his voice flowed smoothly from his lips, his shoulders perched tense over his collar and chest. "Would it help if you had someone to sleep with?" whispered Riku in reply, but Ventus only shrugged.

If Riku continued this, the night would come at the expense of his pride. But as his hands moved towards Ventus' pants and pressed them downwards, and as Ventus' hands pressed under his shirt and against his abdomen, Riku forgot his pride and kissed the boy harder, backing him against the wall beside the fireplace until both of their bodies slid to the ground. Ventus' hips rose as Riku removed the blond's remaining clothing, and a slight sigh escaped from the younger boy's lips as he closed his eyes. Riku's fingers trembled so badly that he fumbled with his own shirt for a painful half a minute before he could get it over his head. By the time he got to his pants, Ventus grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned towards him so that their lips touched again.

"You kiss well," gasped Ventus with fluttering eyelashes, his eyes still closed as Riku shrugged in response. "I've had practice," muttered the silver haired boy, and Ventus averted his head so that the older boy's lips fell against his neck instead of his mouth. "You've kissed a lot of boys?" asked Ventus, but Riku shook his head as he moved from the boy's neck to his chest. "Girls," sighed Riku, making Ventus nod and exhale harder as he added, "You were always too afraid to try?" This Riku ignored, instead slipping his arms around Ventus' back and holding him close as he sucked on his nipples, causing Ventus to moan with pleasure. "Have you ever fucked one?" hissed Ventus with gleaming eyes. At this Riku stopped momentarily and pursed his lips, averting his eyes. "I never finished," he mumbled. In reply, the smile that had colored Ventus' lips shrank, and he stared at Riku with a pensive look as the boy rested his cheek against Ventus' chest. "How old were you?" whispered the younger boy finally, but Riku shrugged before responding, "fifteen," in a mumble.

"Who was it?" asked Ventus further, a slight grin playing across his mouth. Chuckling, Riku replied, "You wouldn't know her. How old were you?"

"Fourteen," murmured Ventus. This time his smile disappeared, and he stared into the fire and raised his hand to his mouth, biting the beds of his nails as the flames moved shapes across his face and eyes. "Not very nice?" inquired Riku. Ventus shook his head. Then, with a great sigh he stretched, resting both hands against Riku's head and stroking the boy's hair. "Well, have at it," the blond murmured, indicating his naked body with a grin. "I'm here all night." In slight discomfort, Riku tilted his head to the side and shrugged. But as he watched Ventus' body, it's corners and grooves dotted with heat, the older boy's ill ease disappeared and he raised his lips to Ventus' once more, embracing the boy as he kissed him. Though Ventus kissed back sparsely, he did not object when Riku's hands trailed between his legs and touched him. With a great sigh, Ventus caught hold of Riku's sides, making the boy fumble to unzip his pants. Once the silver haired boy's underwear was around his ankles, and as Ventus and Riku began to kiss harder, leaning in and out in waves, Ventus' legs relaxed, and he glanced up at Riku with glistening eyes as his hands fell against the older boy's penis. With a grin Ventus began moving his fingers up and down, causing Riku to whine in pleasure, his silver hair brushing against his chest as he bent his chin to his collarbone.

"You want to go in, don't you?" murmured Ventus, glancing with narrowed eyes over Riku, who nodded as his lashes fluttered. With a grin Ventus slipped his hand out from underneath Riku and crawled towards his backpack, which sat at the edge of the sitting room entrance. Inside was a bottle of clear liquid, which he emptied into his hands as Riku sat watching with wide eyes. When Ventus returned to Riku's side, he blew into the older boy's eyes so that they closed. Then, a sharp, cold sensation extended between Riku's legs, and he moaned as he pushed himself closer to Ventus' legs. Resting his hands on either side of Ventus' hips, Riku opened his eyes and stared at Ventus for encouragement. Without smiling or reacting Ventus stared back at Riku, his black irises darting from one of Riku's blue green eyes to the other in examination. Then, his head cocked back in indication, and he slid his back down the wall so that Riku could pull the younger boy's thighs around his own.

Ventus watched as Riku sweated, wisps of hair from his silver fringe sticking to his forehead, which was beaded with sweat. His pale fingers shook as they gripped Ventus' thighs. Then the muscles under the skin of his arms tensed as his hands pressed harder against the blonde's legs, and as his body pushed forward against Ventus the younger boy gasped and groaned, shifting his weight from his back to his arms. With glistening eyes Riku glanced down at Ventus, who looked forward without expression. "Are you okay?" whispered Riku, and Ventus glanced up at him with fluttering lashes. "Are you angry with me for getting you kicked out of your house?"

"What the fuck?" muttered Riku under his breath, chuckling as he shook his head before adding, "why are you asking that now?" In response Ventus glanced back towards the fire and shrugged. Then, as Riku pushed his weight forward and back against Ventus, the boy sucked in and exhaled deep breaths while he closed his eyes. "Riku," he murmured in a detached sort of way, "I've changed my mind."

"What?" responded Riku in a daze, failing to stop moving back and forth against Ventus. As he pushed into the boy he tried stroking the sides of Ventus' face. But though Ventus let him he did not move.

"I understand if you're already angry with me for what I've done, you probably don't care if you keep going," whispered Ventus in a flat tone, wincing as Riku pushed against him again. "And you know when the bottom loses interest, it begins to hurt."

"But I thought you were enjoying it!" Riku whined, continuing to push in and out. A large part of him had shrugged Ventus' speech off as spiteful and undeserving of action. But a small piece of his heart told him to stop.

"I don't want to lose your friendship," responded Ventus through gritted teeth, with furrowed brows and closed eyes. "So I don't mind if you continue. You're very good, Riku," he added, as if goading the boy forward. With a crooked smile Riku responded by nod, pushing in and out as he thought things over in his head. Ventus did not mind if he continued. In a weird way, the boy had complimented him, maybe even wanted him to continue, secretly. It would only last a few more minutes, anyway. _"I can't _do _that, though," _Riku's thoughts blared inside his head. "I just can't."

"What?" Ventus asked in response, and Riku stopped moving and looked down at the boy in front of him with longing. Ventus' brilliant blue eyes had turned black again, like shimmering ashes against the face of the fire, while his skin was orange as burning coals. The dark rings under his eyes drew longer with the help of the shadows playing across the wall, causing his expressionless face to look thin and old. But it seemed, right on the rim of his pupils, where light drew in from the flames aside and gave Ventus sight, there was an edge of soft blue the color of water. As he saw this Riku softened and pulled away, standing with a wince and moving towards the bathroom while his companion looked at him in shock.

"What are you doing?" cried Ventus, sitting and then kneeling on all fours. "Did I talk too much?"

"I'll only be a couple of seconds," muttered Riku in response, shutting the bathroom door behind him. Outside the wall he heard the creak of floorboards and pacing. Then there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Almost finished," shouted Riku, gritting his teeth and leaning his head against the wall as he reached climax. The hand on the door banged it a final time before moving away, and then there was the creak of the floorboards again as Ventus sat down at the far end of the room. Puffing out a deep breath, Riku finished and flushed the toilet, washing his hands at the sink before shaking them off and patting them against the tops of his thighs. Then he crept outside and drew towards the fire, which was obscured by Ventus' back, which rose and fell with deep breaths. When Riku reached the boy's side, the first thing that registered with him was the wide set eyes, the pursed lips, and the flaring nostrils. But not knowing what to say, Riku sat in silence until he had worked out a speech in his mind.

"I wasn't a good friend today," whispered Riku in a gentle voice. Ventus ignored him. "The minute you said 'stop', I should have stopped. I caused you pain and I'm sorry."

"Unaccepted," snapped Ventus in response, and Riku nearly choked on his words, glancing at Ventus in shock to gauge the boy's reaction. But the blond was stock still and dead serious. "What the fuck, Ventus?" snapped Riku finally, his brows furrowing as he banged his fist against the floor. "I stopped for you, shouldn't you be happy?"

"And there's why you stopped!" fired back Ventus with a strange, wide-eyed grin. "You want me to cry and give you a big hug, to say that you're the best boy in the world. You're not," spat the boy finally. The blue that Riku had noticed on the rim of his pupils seemed to be spreading across his irises, turning them a morose water color as the orange of his skin died back to tan with the waning fire. "You're just a goody-goody, that's why you stopped," hissed the boy further, making Riku's shoulders sag in shock. "You didn't stop for me, you stopped for yourself!"

With puffed out chest and somber glance, Ventus averted his gaze to the fire and glanced towards it with soft lids and an air of aloofness. Riku could not understand it, and therefor could not be understanding. Instead he was livid. "I thought," he muttered, his brain clicking away towards the reason Ventus had called the whole evening together in the first place. Then, his breath faltered as he came upon his answer, which caused his lips to purse and his eyes to close. "Had you planned on saying no from the beginning?" murmured Riku in a soft voice. "No," responded Ventus defensively. After this, Riku nodded and shifted towards Ventus again, touching his arm with a soft grip. "Do you like me at all?"

For a moment Ventus' eyes softened, to the point that they glistened with water, which pooled at the tips of his bottom lids. But then his glance hardened and he folded his arms before his chest in defiance. "I prefer Axel," he muttered.

Gritting his teeth, Riku stood and trudged towards his now dry clothes, shoving them on one by one as he prepared to leave. Then, as he moved past Ventus he burst out, "Well you can fuck off back to him!" spitting on the fire before he trudged towards the door. "I'll come back in the morning to see how you're doing," added the boy as an after thought, ripping the door open as Ventus asked, "where are you going?" with nonchalance. A bright light sizzled in the distance and lit the world for an instant before it was gone. Seconds later, a long roll of thunder ensued, making Riku purse his lips in anticipation. "I'm going for a walk," he muttered. Then he shut the door behind him and hunted around the back of the house for an axe as droplets of rain began to fall from the sky again.

There was a stray hammer at the side of the house, which Riku settled for as he dashed away from the mansion and towards the clock tower, which loomed black against the deep blue sky in the distance, already obscured by rain. The first real shower hit Riku as he reached the line of trees of the forest surrounding the tower, which made him run faster as hail soon followed. Shielding his head with his jacket, Riku lunged past the last line of trees and hollered as penny sized hail battered against his covered arms and back. But soon he had reached the door leading into the back of the clock tower and shielded himself from the weather by pressing himself underneath its entrance overhang. To his surprise the door had been left open tonight, and gripping the hammer close to his chest Riku pushed forward, closing the door behind him and climbing with silent steps up the tower stairs. There was no light in the top of the tower, except for the occasional flash of lightning, which illuminated the cracks through the walls and gave Riku vision as he climbed. When he reached the clock room, he sat inside its interior and closed his eyes.

This was the room in which the clock pendulum swung back and forth. The sound of its beating vibrated in the interior of Riku's head and made him rub at his eyes in exhaustion. Then, with a loud whine he remembered Xion. He was supposed to look for her, and had the intention of doing so until he met Ventus. Sick with guilt, Riku gripped the sides of his arms and commanded himself to look forward, into the glass of the clock face, which was dark amber without candle illumination.

"Don't cry, don't cry," commanded Riku in a whisper. But as he bit his lip a sob burst out of his throat and opened his mouth, making another rumble out from the deepest part of himself, and then another, until he had descended into a fit of tears. The swing of the pendulum blocked out the sound of Riku's crying and calmed him, though, until he fell asleep, slumped over the back, right corner of the room.

…..

Naminé waited in silence for the waiter to bring her order of soup. This time, instead of Leon her date was Xehanort, who sat across from her perusing the wine menu, tapping his forefinger to his temple. His yellow eyes glanced up at her and crinkled at the edges, warm.

"Have you enjoyed your vacation?" he asked, to which Naminé nodded, beaming. "I haven't been treated this well in a long time," she murmured. Xehanort smiled in return, peering back down at the menu in front of him. "What did you think of the school?" he asked. Naminé nodded, smiling. "I like it."

"I hope it is not too posh for you," Xehanort chuckled, glancing up at her. "But they will treat you well. Being the daughter of such a respected official, they will have no choice."

Naminé shuffled her feet in discomfort, clearing her throat to ask, "Will I see my friends?" But Xehanort chuckled in reply. "You must attend secondary school and university first," he explained, "you are intelligent and should not waste your talents around such untrustworthy peers."

Though she furrowed her brows Naminé did not respond. Then she spotted the waiter with their food and smiled at him as he set their dishes before them. After returning with wine the waiter disappeared and the dinner went on in silence, excepting the occasional clink of metal on porcelain until both parties were finished. Once Xehanort had set his silverware down, and sipped the last sliver of his wine, he checked his watch and snapped his fingers at Naminé, who nodded and hurried to finish her own dinner. The waiter took their plates and the two prepared to leave the restaurant.

"Your coats, mademoiselle et monsieur," a doorman called, slipping Xehanort's long cloak over his shoulders for him. Naminé's new, knee-length figured pea coat was set over her arms, and she closed the buttons on it. Then she retrieved her hand purse and accompanied Xehanort arm in arm to their rented car, a sleek black four-seater with a chauffer holding the door open. Xehanort and Naminé sat in the back of the vehicle and were driven towards the New Opera House in Jidoor's City Center. Jidoor lay on the western island of Free Gestahlia, a haven for the elite. Naminé stared out the window as they drove to the opera. She could hear the advertisement music playing from the lobby as they reached the front of the building. Xehanort handed his tickets to the doorman and the two were let inside the opera house, a grand spacious building with luxurious red carpet and candle lanterns. A soprano warble blared through speakers on all sides of the lobby, and Naminé found her head beginning to hurt. Xehanort noticed it and touched her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked and Naminé nodded. "I've just got a bit of a headache, I'm excited though," she added. Xehanort chuckled and led the way into the house, taking a seat in the front row. Naminé's heart began to beat as the lights dimmed and the curtains fell back on the stage, and her head throbbed. A portly woman with childish features and long, curly blond hair floated onto the stage and began to sing about true love. Her warble vibrated in Naminé's head, and suddenly the girl's memory was carried back to a dressing room when she was a young girl, dancing around with a beautiful woman with blue eyes and blond hair like hers. Feelings that she had never thought she possessed fluttered up through her stomach and around her chest as the stage ahead of her vibrated with the sound of two voices, one a woman's, and the other her lover's. "She was an opera singer," Naminé breathed to herself, and Xehanort stared at her with a penetrating gaze, narrowing his eyes. The memory faded, and Naminé felt a kind of light that had welled up inside her fade along with it. Xehanort watched in curiosity as Naminé sighed and calmed herself. When she glanced over at her benefactor, he smiled with raised eyebrows. "You have been hiding that bright light from everyone," he said in a low voice, and Naminé felt her fingertips go cold. The opera continued, but Naminé felt the occasional gaze of Xehanort throughout the night.

When the ordeal was finished their chauffer transported them back to their hotel, where Naminé packed her bags for her relocation to Jidoor's premier boarding school for girls. Her party had been given two hotel suites, one for Xehanort and one for Naminé. Her suite was like an apartment. The bedroom was twenty five by thirty feet, the bathroom was fifteen by twenty, and there was also a lounge room to the side of the bedroom. The bed was king sized, with luxurious silk covers and a down duvet. It was better than her bed back home. Now she would attend a posh boarding school for girls for the next four years of her life. After that she would be forced to go to college. Maybe someday she would reunite with her friends. Then she wondered if they would still be her friends when she returned.

The large room was suddenly very cold, and Naminé could not fall asleep in the bed, so she ripped the duvet and pillows off and carried them to an enormous chaise lounge in the lounge room by the window. She curled up inside the duvet and peeked out on the city, trying to get used to it. She was scared. It was very big and new. It was nothing like the quietness, the oldness of the forest in Twilight Town. This Jidoor had been remade from the remnants of war, much more gracefully than Midgar. Then, as Namine felt herself give in to tears, she felt a sudden, deep fear that she could not comprehend curling down her spine.

In the next room Xehanort paced back and forth before sitting on his bed. Then he clicked on the small communication device on his wrist and received a muffled answer from his ambassador.

"What is it, former?" a low voice asked across the line.

"I was just wondering how things were playing out," Xehanort murmured, glancing around the suite for bugs. When he was convinced there were none, he redirected his attention to his attendant. "We are discussing plans," Vanitas responded. "Do it before I return home," Xehanort added, and Vanitas said, yes, it would be done before he returned. Xehanort nodded in satisfaction. Then he cleared his throat. "I want you to look further into the girl," Xehanort inquired, "and the extent of her involvement," he added. "Is there cause for worry?" Vanitas responded. Xehanort chuckled. "She is revealing herself to be more than she seems," the old man elaborated. Vanitas responded that he would look into things and Xehanort clicked to end the communication, fastening the device tighter on his wrist before he got ready for bed. His sleep was intermitted by moments of pensive wakefulness, which soon gave way into a clearer, deeper slumber until slivers of light crept through the windows.

On that new day he took Naminé to her boarding school and parted ways with her, grinning at her and tapping his cane on the ground. Naminé smiled at him with tired eyes. "Trouble sleeping?" he replied. Naminé shrugged. Xehanort chuckled in response and gave her a hug goodbye. The headmistress of the school took a picture and Naminé smiled as Xehanort held her shoulder. Then, the two parted ways and Xehanort was driven towards the airport.

He slept a considerable amount, lucky enough to have been kept on the same plane until he reached Palumpolum. Once the plane landed Xehanort blinked awake and cracked his fingers, stepping up, retrieving his carry on bag, and heading towards the door. Two attendants were waiting for him in the airport and he greeted them with warm welcome, beckoning for them to follow him to baggage claim. As he headed away from his gate one of his attendants bumped past a young woman with red brown eyes and black hair tucked back into a cowboy hat. She said excuse me and passed them by, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand and then back up. Xehanort peered after her as she walked ahead of them, but eventually she disappeared in the flood of arrivals retrieving their bags.

...

Hoisting her small carry on bag under her arm and biting her lip, a cowboy booted girl dug inside her purse and counted her money. She hoped they served food on the plane. Then her heart began to thud in her chest as she reached her gate. As she walked towards the passage entrance to the plane, the employee tasked with guarding the gate entrance glanced up and held his hand out for her ticket. In response, the girl reached inside her purse and pulled out her BI clearance and ticket information. The employee stared at the clearance as if it glowed gold, before bowing and letting her pass onto the plane. "Would you like first class, ma'am?" he called after her with narrowed eyes, but the woman shook her head a grinned. "I'll take economy." To this the man beamed and nodded, as the girl turned and left.

The next few hours of the workday passed without incident, until another employee sauntered to the gate attendant and told him to go on his lunch break. Nodding, the gate attendant headed for the brake room and looked for an empty table, sitting down and taking out a packet of leftovers. When a security cop he recognized walked in, the man called out and beckoned for her to sit down, causing the woman to settle beside him and scoot her chair forward, starting into a bowl of noodles.

"How was yours?" the man asked, and the cop shrugged. "Fine, yours?" she returned. The man grinned and narrowed his eyes at her, making her lean closer to him. "You'll never guess who I saw today," he murmured. The woman nodded for him to continue. "Tifa Lockhart," he whispered. The woman gasped and slammed her hand on the table in excitement. "No!" The man nodded and grinned wider. "On her way to Palumpolum. She's got a boob reduction, too, and cut her hair."

Patting her own breasts, the woman snorted, "I can understand her pain. But she was skinnier than I am and still had to carry that weight," then the woman shook her head. "Maybe she got it because it made her look too conspicuous."

"Oh, she looks different alright," the man murmured. "She's probably undercover."

The woman nodded and stood, wiping her mouth. "I've got to call my husband, he's looking after the baby," she added, rolling her eyes, and the man laughed. Once she was out of the break room and standing outside the back of one of the airport exits she whipped out her phone and dialed, resting it against her ear and glancing back and forth to see if anyone was listening. The other line picked up and the woman chuckled.

"Hey, Rude," she murmured. The man across the phone returned the greeting. "I have some interesting news for you," she murmured. "Tifa Lockhart hopped on a plane to Palumpolum on official undercover business," she hissed. The other end was silent. Then, the man responded, _"Who is your source?"_

"The guy who took her ticket," the woman replied. Rude chuckled and the woman responded, "Are you going to tell the Director?"

"_No," _Rude returned, _"I will look into it myself." _

The woman nodded and shrugged. "Do what you want with the information but don't site me. The BI will know about it soon enough, or maybe they already do."

"_I am driving to the airport as we speak,"_ Rude responded, and the line went dead.

...

Vanitas unlocked the exit door with a security card he had acquired from Shinra and hurried through it as it opened, descending its stairs into Shinra's basement storage room filled with aisles of documents. He went past each, searching, until the letter markings fell away to numbers. Once inside aisle number twenty-five he looked for the locked filed marked "Highly Sensitive", taking out his card and scanning it. The file drawer opened and he searched for an organizer marked "Assassinations." Then his eyes fell on his prize.

It was a manila envelope labeled, "Rufus Shinra", and inside it was a jumble of documents, photos, and plastic bags concerning evidence. One article in particular, a small glass vial, caught his eye the moment his vision brushed over its surface. Inside the vial was a skin sample, taken from beneath Rufus Shinra's fingernails in his final struggle against Sephiroth. Vanitas removed the plastic bag containing the vial and put it in his pocket, locking the file drawer once more before moving out of the aisle and towards the stairs leading out of Shinra's basement and into its lobby. Once the basement exit door was locked, Vanitas touched his wrist, feeling the communication device buzzing against his skin. "Hello, former," he murmured.

"_Have you acquired any information on the girl, yet?" _Xehanort responded. Vanitas pursed his lips. "Not enough to go by," he murmured. "It depends on how much Ansem told her."

"_It is dependent on much more than that, boy," _Xehanort growled in return. _"I felt a window open into my past as I watched her progression these few days. I feel my son on her."_

At this piece of information, Vanitas' eyes grew wide with shock as he turned away. "You mean the _latter_?" he whispered. Xehanort chortled. _"We will speak further on it when I return. Until then, I will not call you again."_

Vanitas responded yes and clicked to end the communication. Then he headed up to Rufus Shinra's old office with Sephiroth's DNA in hand.

...

When Riku woke up he squinted his eyes, as the noticed the light streaming in through the cracks in the walls around him. But as he sat up straight, feeling his back brush against a corner of stone, and as the familiar drone of the pendulum resounded in his ears, he realized that he was in the top of the clock tower, and away from the mansion. Pursing his lips and standing to press his palm against the door that led to the ledge of the clock face, Riku opened the wooden portal before him and sighed as a stream of light bathed his face. The world about him was just past dawn but not yet warm, squinting its bleary eyes against the sun.

With a great sigh of approval Riku stepped back inside the clock tower and ran down its stairs, charging out behind it and into the line of trees that led towards the old mansion, Naminé's former abode. There he would meet Ventus. Or not, if the boy had already decided to leave. But soon the woods Riku stood within began to thin, and after they left his side and he barreled from them into a grass clearing, the iron gates of the old mansion looming ahead of him, waiting. Biting his lip, Riku climbed over them and into the front yard, looking around at the damage left by the hailstorm the night before. No windows were broken, and the roof was fine, but the drainpipe was in a mess and branches were strewn everywhere. It gave Riku a disheveled feeling and heightened his guard as he crept towards the door, open in the wind.

A few stray branches had found their way into the foyer at the front of the mansion, but otherwise, the place was clean. Every bit of takeout from last night's dinner was gone, thrown into a plastic bag that lay at the back of the kitchen. But as Riku glanced about, Ventus was nowhere to be found. "Shit," the silver haired boy thought to himself as he looked around. But just as he felt himself giving up, there was a creak from upstairs, and the sound of feet padding towards him. As Riku laid eyes on his peer, materialized in front of him from the flight above, his body tensed and his jaw held taught, as did Ventus'. Both boys stared at each other for a terribly long time. Then Ventus' eyes narrowed.

"How long have you been here?" interrogated the blond.

"Two minutes tops," responded Riku in a gruff tone.

"What were you doing?"

"Looking to see if the storm messed the house up."

"Did it?"

"The drainpipe's hanging off."

Though Ventus nodded, he stepped towards Riku and opened his mouth again, growling, "Why did you really come back?"

In the midst of a shrug, several thoughts ran through Riku's mind. But as his shoulders sagged in defeat he decided the truth would be the best answer of all. "I wanted to see if you were okay," murmured the boy, adding in a soft voice, "No more, no less." Then he turned to leave. But as his feet stepped forward, his legs were stopped by the grip of Ventus' palm on his arm.

"Riku," Ventus hissed, staring straight into his companion's eyes from coal black irises. "I apologize." And with a shrug Riku nodded in approval, causing Ventus to look up at him with a curious expression. "Was it horrible, what I did?" he whispered.

"You mean Lea?" responded Riku, and Ventus nodded. Then, after taking a good look at his companion, Riku murmured, "You would know that better than anyone." Following this he turned away for the last time and left the mansion, trudging back through the forest towards the train station as Ventus stayed behind, watching him leave. Once the head of the silverette bobbed out of sight, Ventus shook his head, chuckling, "that's just what I was afraid of," as he kicked the stray wood on the foyer floor around the room.

...

It was as if Kid was walking in slow motion, as if he couldn't move fast enough. Reno had to know this. He had to know that the case on Zack Fair was over.

Kid ran past various offices until he reached Reno's division, where a bit of a celebration had begun. Everyone was toasting, and Reno clinked glasses with them all, including Lightning, who smiled.

Hesitating, Kid stood at the door. But as Reno climbed atop one of the desks to make a speech, Kid sucked in a deep breath and barreled into the office before standing stock still, as the phone began to ring. Hopping off the table with a loud thud, Reno wobbled towards the receiver.

"Reno!" barked Kid, and Reno glanced back at him. Kid shook his head. "Don't answer it."

Snorting, Reno answered the phone anyway. Then, the light expression on his face grew heavy until there was no expression at all. Pausing, he drummed his hands on the receiver. Then he trudged to his office, locked the door, turned the light off, and sat at his desk in silence. In the room outside, everyone stood still, staring towards Kid for an answer. He gulped.

"I just got a call." His voice quivered as he spoke. "They… they're dropping the case." He whispered, and Lightning walked towards him with a steely expression on her face. "Are you fucking around?" she growled, but Kid shook his head. "No. I'm serious."

"Why?"

"Because… They found new evidence that points to Sephiroth as the killer of Rufus Shinra."

To this Lightning rolled her eyes and threw her arms around her. "Then why the hell haven't we arrested Sephiroth?" Kid shuffled his feet. "Because…"

"Because why, Kid?" sighed Lightning further, and Kid paused before telling her.

"Sephiroth's dead."

**END PART 1**


	17. Part 2: Prologue

**Part 2 Prologue**

Xehanort hurried out of the gates of the Twilight Town airport with his head bent low, letting the eyes within his lids turn towards the sound of the squeal of rubber tires on asphalt. This was where his chauffer had parked and was waiting for him. What seemed like an endless sea of reporters crunched in on him as he attempted to enter his car, and to elude them he shielded his face with his hands and averted his gaze from their cameras.

"How is Sephiroth's death taking its toll on you, sir?" one of the reporters shouted. With a heartbroken glance Xehanort raised his eyes to the reporters and replied, "I have lost another son." Crazed, the reporters pushed in again, attempting to ask more questions as Xehanort slipped into his car and was driven away. Within an hour the two had returned like shadows to their headquarters in the Land That Never Was.

As the vehicle turned around the fountain and stopped before the great iron rimmed doors at the head of the manor, Kadaj traveled from around the mansion's side and stood on the porch steps with arms folded behind his back in greeting. But when the young man walked forward to open Xehanort's passenger door, Vanitas intercepted him and assisted the old man from the vehicle himself. With a chuckle Kadaj relinquished his help and returned his hands behind his back. He bowed when the old man passed him and slithered to his side, touching Xehanort's arm as they traveled inside the manor. Vanitas clenched his fists as Kadaj spoke with his master.

"How is the mouse problem?" murmured Xehanort. Kadaj snorted. "Poison has been set in the upper and lower floors, but there are still some left," he replied. Xehanort nodded. "Perhaps a more direct approach would be in our favor."

When they reached the stairs that ascended the center of the front hall before splitting into a long, two-sided hallway culminating on one side in Xehanort's bedroom, and the other in his office, their voices drew to a whisper. Vanitas followed behind in silence.

"I took it upon myself to ask my brother Loz about Naminé," Kadaj murmured to Xehanort, who glanced up at the boy in surprise as he continued, "and I have also contacted Yuffie in regards of. She redirected me to Sora."

To this Xehanort chortled in satisfaction. "What did the boy say?"

Kadaj's eyes shone. "It appears Naminé was experimented on as well," he murmured. "Used by Organization Thirteen to affect the boy's memories, to make him weak."

"Speak with my son further," murmured Xehanort and Kadaj nodded. By this point the party of three had reached the office on the left side of the staircase, and finished with the relay of information, Kadaj bowed and attempted to leave. But Xehanort stopped him and beckoned for him to stand at the side while he indicated the seat before his desk to Vanitas. The two exchanged a look as Xehanort became comfortable behind his desk. The old man's rumbling throat clear redirected the pair's attention. Vanitas' shoulders tensed as he seated himself. The old man stared ahead before chuckling and narrowing his eyes. Then he rummaged through his desk and pulled out a manila folder, furrowing Kadaj's brows. Vanitas remained unmoving.

"Many years ago," began the old man, "Just preceding the Reign of Kefka Palazzo over Gestahlia, there existed a grand Opera House south of Jidoor. My wife and I visited frequently, always paying a preliminary visit to the cast's dressing rooms before the production. This occasion was no different. I accompanied my wife inside the leading female, Maria's, dressing room. There was such a strange _light _within. One that was calm and untainted by tenebrin," he murmured. "I saw a glimmer of that light again, when I attended the opera with Naminé." Then his yellow eyes flickered as his thin lips creased into a grin. "Remnants of neotenebrin have clung to her from years of dealings with Organization Thirteen, but there was also a distinctive scent that I picked up."

"Your son." Vanitas murmured, remembering the conversation they'd had the night before his master flew home. Xehanort nodded, adding, "Now, how would a girl who was eleven when my son died smell of him?"

"Was it the experiments?" tried Kadaj in a soft, sharp edged voice, but Xehanort shook his head and tapped his cane, turning to face Vanitas. "When was Naminé admitted into the Orphanage That Never Was?" Vanitas furrowed his brows. "Eleven," he murmured.

"And when did she escape L'Académie?" asked Xehanort further. Vanitas' eyes widened. "Eleven," he whispered. Xehanort narrowed his eyes.

"The headmistress stated in court that Naminé was on a field trip in Midgar at the time of her escape from the boarding school."

Silence fell as the old man brooded and rubbed the back of his head. Vanitas' eyes shone with excitement. Then Xehanort pursed his thin lips into a smile. "Perhaps she knows what befell my son," he sneered. Then his eyes narrowed and his fingers curled into fists as he bared his teeth. "More mice to snap," he muttered. "Which leads us to our next point of order."

The manila folder displayed in the old man's palm was slipped in front of Vanitas, who took it up in discomfort and glanced over its contents. When he was finished reading he furrowed his brows and opened and closed his lips. "I don't understand," he murmured finally, attracting Xehanort's full attention. The old man stared at him. "This isn't a mission, this is expenditures," the boy elaborated, shuffling through the papers with stiff fingers, in an attempt to stop their trembling. The pages in front of him held statements on the purchase of two brand new custom motorbikes. The last several pages were statements on purchases of new pig killing guns. Vanitas looked over them in hollow eyes. Xehanort continued to look with fixed gaze on his chauffer without speaking.

"Do," started Vanitas, tensing at the volatility. "Do you want me to take care of these?"

"I want you to see that they get here without being seen," hissed Xehanort in reply. "The nature of my guardianship does not preclude constant mission work." Then he softened as he responded, "I now have two formidable agents and will stagger the work accordingly."

With one last look Vanitas stared at the man before him. Then he picked himself up and tucked the manila envelope under his arm. Bowing, he exited the room, leaving Kadaj to take his seat. Xehanort examined the young man before speaking.

"Kadaj," he murmured and the young man looked up. Xehanort smiled. "As our triumvirate enters into this most important stage our movements evolve. They become stronger, pinpointed."

"Great," responded Kadaj with a shrug. But Xehanort continued, "I trust you to join me in this endeavor?"

"Yes," Kadaj conceded. But his lips pursed. The old man was examining him- not in an antagonistic way, but all the same. With a smile he sat back and pressed his fingers together.

"You need a transition period. I will not expect you to do perfectly on your first mission," chuckled Xehanort, while Kadaj tried to find it in him to smile. "My ambassador's health is degrading at a sharp rate. I doubt that he will be able to cope with any high profile missions in the coming weeks, so I will give you that transition period to learn."

Kadaj nodded, wondering what exactly was wrong with the 'ambassador'. "Is he... very ill?" the young man chanced, and Xehanort looked at him closely. "He is dying."

Kadaj blinked in shock. "I am so sorry," he breathed, but Xehanort waved him off. Then the old man chuckled. "He has carried long past his usefulness."

"Sorry?" responded Kadaj. Xehanort gave a reassuring grin. But his memory pulled his brows together, in the way that the former grin turned into more of a sneer. "When I first came across that boy he was a vacuous slug, incapable of sentiment beyond the occasional performance of emotion. His were crude parodies of the feelings displayed by those capable of truly feeling," he explained with a sigh of pity. "A creature small and spineless. Insulated deep within itself. Destined for nothing. But it did dream, and announced those dreams often."

"What did he dream of?" asked Kadaj. This seemed to jolt Xehanort out of his reverie. With a sigh the old man shrugged. "When I met him for the first time, he told me he wanted a mother, a father, and a 'buddy'. I gave him all bar the first. Though I attempted my wife wanted nothing to do with him, especially when I injected him with tenebrin."

"Tenebrin being darkness," Kadaj reiterated, and Xehanort nodded. "That was what they called it before it received its scientific name. Such a strange subject it is. Born with all human beings, harmless when mixed with luciden. Light. But when separated from its brethren its power is irrefutable."

"Is the darkness what is making him ill?" asked Kadaj. To this Xehanort nodded. "I made the creature to last a year, to reach whatever ends I contrived for it. Past that it has been stamped with the smell of death." There was silence as Xehanort trailed off, remembering a time that was long gone with a sharp glare. Then the old man chuckled and pulled out a blank sheet of paper from his desk, reaching for a pen held at his desk's edge. Kadaj watched him as he moved.

"Now we must discuss the elimination of Naminé," sighed Xehanort and Kadaj's head snapped to attention.

"Excuse me?" he breathed. Xehanort stared at him and chuckled. "She knows what befell my son. And this morning I received a call from a friend in the BI. One of King Mickey's Knights is seeking out that girl. I do not want her found."

"But must she be killed?" Kadaj responded in desperation. Xehanort stared at him. With a shaking head Kadaj refuted him. "That is too far," murmured the young man. "That will not do."

Xehanort raised his eyebrows in surprise but nodded. "Well, we shall find another way around the problem," he sighed, gripping his cane and standing away from his desk. Scribbling a few notes down on the outside of the paper, he returned it to the manila envelope and handed the whole file to Kadaj. Then he pointed to the paperwork.

"Within holds information on your next mission," murmured the old man. A slight grin played across his lips. "From what you've told me I am confident you will enjoy it."

As Kadaj read over the second packet within the envelope his lips firmed into a wide sneer and he nodded, before standing, bowing, shaking his associate's hand, and leaving the office. On his way out he passed Vanitas, who was just exiting his living quarters. The two exchanged glances, before averting their eyes and moving away from one another. Seconds later Xehanort left his office as well, snapping for Vanitas as he noted the boy in the hallway. As the two met, the master pursed his lips.

"Perhaps I was rash earlier on," he murmured. "There is a mission coming up that I'd like you to be involved in."

With wide eyes Vanitas nodded eagerly. "I'll do it," he whispered, and Xehanort chuckled. "Kadaj will inform you of the details." Then the old man was gone, leaving Vanitas to lean against the wall of the hallway and think. His nostrils flared as he stood there, and his brows furrowed in confusion. His gaze darted to his master's open office before returning to the floor. With ringing hands he looked to the empty office again. Then he disappeared downstairs, opening the door to the mansion's security chamber. On the pretense of looking over the records managing the camera of the wood's outer walls, Vanitas typed in the code for the cameras in Xehanort's room and waited. Soon the correct file came up. Vanitas typed coding again.

_DO YOU WANT TO PROCEED?_

Vanitas' fingers hovered over the 'enter' key for several moments, as if its touch was cursed. When he glanced towards the other security tapes monitoring the house, he noticed that Xehanort was calling his son. He spoke to the boy in a murmuring, gravelly tone, and his brows furrowed while his lips pursed in apparent indignation. But his shoulders were relaxed. His feet shuffled aimlessly: forlorn, dejected. His hands rubbed his head. And then he chuckled to his son.

"_But it did dream, and it announced those dreams often." _

"_What did he dream of?"_

"_A mother, a father, and a buddy. I gave him all bar the first. I attempted the third, but my wife wanted nothing to do with him." _

Gritting his teeth, Vanitas forced himself to press the 'enter' key, sighing in relief as the security cameras for his master's office began recording a picture of the empty office. He typed further and a window popped up with a blank space for entering time. It would take at most fifteen minutes. Vanitas entered in 1500 and clicked enter. Then, sucking in a deep breath, he fled from the security chamber towards the hallway staircase once more, pretending to go for his room, before turning abruptly towards his master's office.

The cameras clicked off as Vanitas pressed the bugging device in his coat pocket. When his eyes found Xehanort's bookshelf he lunged towards it, searching for the blue book labeled, "_Love's Labors Lost." _Positioning his debugger right above the alarm within the book, he slipped it from its shelf and opened it up, emptying the set of keys from the hole at its center. Then he turned to his master's desk and unlocked every drawer, hunting through them feverishly. When he reached the third drawer down, opening it with care, his breath caught in his throat.

Amidst a precarious jumble of mess lay a set of brass keys, a little gold nugget in a bed of stones. Vanitas pursed his lips, stalling. Then he reached his hand within and clasped the center of the key set, extricating them from beneath the heap of odds and ends without disrupting a dust mote. After padding around in his pocket Vanitas located the little silver box from his pocket, clicked it open, and stared from its inner face to the jumble of keys in his gloved hand. Fifteen minutes. Biting his lip, he made casts of all of them, two at a time. There were seven keys in all. He wiped the sweat from his brow when he looked up at Xehanort's clock, noticing that he had a minute. As the third set of casts was taking, Vanitas glanced down at the seventh key. He did not have time to make its cast. So abandoning it, the real set of keys was returned to its hiding place in the third drawer. Vanitas left without looking back.

Day and night he had been within the library, studying every one of Ansem's reports, every document, article, and book written from the time his life with Xehanort began till now. There was nothing. And now, only three weeks separated him from succumbing to madness. _"Past that it has been stamped with the smell of death." _

Vanitas wiped his brow again. Even through everything, a small part of him had expected to live. As he traveled inside his bedroom and sat on the mattress between the green wire frames, he rubbed his eyelids. Xehanort's library was spacious, with thousands of documents, books, data sheets, reports, and essays, all catalogued and organized meticulously. The monstrosity of a room was deep below the ground, the most secret and important place in Xehanort's headquarters. Yet its public quarters contained nothing for Vanitas. His eyes returned to the six casts of keys. One of them held the physical combination to the lock barring the library's restricted section. Or none of them did. As Vanitas glanced out of his window he bit his fingers.

Seven years ago, after Xehanort had ordered his son's assassination, he made sure that all of his boy's belongings were analyzed. Any document of interest had been taken. But the most vital of all, his scientific reports, he had scattered before he died. Years passed before Vanitas obtained copies of all of them.

A specific individual had been mentioned in the last report, a 'special girl', who belonged to a group of people, stylized the 'princesses of heart'. These princesses had no tenebrin within their bodies. They were capable of functioning without it. Therefore, they were immune to all of darkness's forms. As Vanitas thought on it, his eyes narrowed. The sound of scratching against wood interrupted his thoughts. It was mice.

Vanitas was nine when he merged consciousness with Ventus to create what Xehanort termed the 'X- Blade'. But after years of dreaming of the power it entailed, it had only brought him disappointment. Nothing more than waking up in another human's body, one that hated you, whom you loved and hated back. When Vanitas woke up within Ventus' body he was immediately forced out. His own body did not want him, either. Upon his absence it had functioned without him, wandering deep into the wasteland holding the Key Blade graveyard until Xehanort located it.

"What was my old name?" he whispered to the scratching within his room. The word started with the letter B, and it was the definition of himself before he became Vanitas. "Was Vanitas ever real?" murmured the boy further. _"Or is it just the part of Ventus that Xehanort extracted?" _

"I was never meant to survive, was I?" Vanitas muttered. Imagining himself as a petri dish filled with mutated tenebrin, eating away at the plastic lining, made Vanitas laugh. Then he furrowed his brows in puzzlement. He'd never laughed when he was drugged.

Pacing back and forth, Vanitas bit his fingers harder. "Beings of complete darkness die. Beings of light live. I need light! Where can I find organic luciden?" With the snap of his fingers he realized. The girl. _This _was what he had read about, this was what he had lived. There were only seven known humans in the world born with pure luciden inside them. _She _was one of them- the one from Radiant Garden. What was her name?

As Vanitas stopped pacing a smile played across his mouth, narrowing his eyes. Kairi. The adopted daughter of the Mayor of Destiny Islands- one of the missing children involved in the case against Maleficent four years ago. The only remaining problem would be how to extract her luciden. But the answer to that lay in the forefront of Vanitas' memory.

...

Beneath the library laid the last floor of Xehanort's headquarters, and Vanitas hopped down the stairs leading to its door with speed. Eluding the cameras at its front was easy. But when Vanitas slipped into the chamber's depths, he found himself in complete darkness.

His footsteps magnified as he stepped forward, the sound waves glancing over every object within the room before being swallowed by its mass. The sound of rodents was heightened down here, and Vanitas wrinkled his nose as he felt one springing over his shoe. When his fingers made contact with what he remembered to be the rope light switch, he yanked it down, watching as fluorescent bulbs, organized at the corners of the ten by ten inch grids figured across the ceiling, buzzed on. More than half were broken. The shadows that laid waste to the room hung about still, draped along the underside of every surface.

This chamber was forgotten artifacts, the machines and files that had been deemed useless over the many years it had existed. Cabinets filled with manila envelopes lined the walls; a border of paper data guarding the mounds of metal scraps stacked against each other like mountains. But as Vanitas' eyes fell upon the cobwebbed behemoth hidden amongst a piling of computer parts at the room's back, a tick went off in his heart. With pursed lips Vanitas stepped towards the sheet and put his gloves on. Then, climbing atop the computer parts and shoving them away from the machine beneath, he heaved the black sheet cover from the contraption within and looked down.

Directly below, covered in ancient motes and concealed as myth within his memory, was the machine. Though grey with thin layers of dirt, only the wipe of a hand revealed its gleaming white surface, so clear Vanitas' wide grin reflected back at him as he stared. Excitement coursed through his extremities as he searched for the power chord, hauling the machine forward with all his strength, biting his lip as the computer parts surrounding it crashed to the ground. The screeches of mice welled up for a moment, but soon they were gone. Finally Vanitas located the power chord and an outlet. But when the behemoth was plugged in, and its power button pressed, the blue light that shone from within its belly flickered and died. The hum of its breath faltered, until it too fell silent. As Vanitas examined it he scratched his head. The machine would be rebuilt. To do that Vanitas needed blue prints.

As the casts of Xehanort's most precious set of keys jingled in Vanitas' pocket, he pressed his fingers around them and bit his lip. But his eyes returned to the machine. It was a perfect pearl sphere, cut at the center by a dull grey line, which glowed blue when turned on. Two circular slots were indented at each side of this line. On the machine's sides were two round windows; no doubt where Xehanort monitored the progress of the subjects within as he experimented upon them. The smile that cut across Vanitas' face stopped its progress as he looked down at his hands again. Then he pulled the black sheet over the machine and left the basement, watching as the light switch was turned off and the room returned to nothingness. Up the stairs, up to the second floor of the house, and into his room Vanitas roamed, sitting on his bed and wringing his fingers. The invisible mouse still scratched behind his walls, and an inexplicable anger bubbled in Vanitas' stomach as he listened. That mouse would be dead if Vanitas found it, smashed to pieces under his foot.

Picking himself up and lumbering into his bathroom, Vanitas searched for an available tube of neotenebrin and injected it into his vein, sighing as the poison coursed through him and dulled his ability to feel. But as his anger fell away his mind drew back to Ventus, and his eyes were attracted to the mirror above the sink. His reflection loomed dark, with piercing yellow eyes.

"Whoever you are," whispered Vanitas, his eyes narrowing to slits of gold, "You're on your own, now." And he smiled.


	18. Face of Danger

Lightning paced outside Reno's office in internal agony, wondering if she could wait any longer. The other investigators had told her to give him some time. But they couldn't wait forever.

Zack Fair had woken up from the coma on his second day in the hospital. He then experienced a purported mental breakdown, and was kept in the hospital another two days. In the meantime, the trial had been delayed.

After Zack was deemed fit for examination, he was taken to the interrogation room and questioned. He spilled everything on Sephiroth; how the man had been experimented upon as a child, how he had found out from a man named Genesis over twenty years later; and perhaps most importantly, how Sephiroth had gone on a mad rampage through Nibelhiem, killing and burning all in his path. He was not Nibelhiem's savior. He was its murderer.

With this new information they questioned Hojo again, breaking him to pieces until he recited everything he knew of his son, including his assistance in the murder of President Shinra. Up until the phone call, Shinra had been in the palm of the Investigation Bureau's hand. But just as they raised their glasses in celebration, their one lead snuffed out. The autopsy revealed an unidentifiable substance in Sephiroth's veins; poison. The crime scene investigation had revealed nothing yet, but Lightning wondered if any trace of the killer would ever be found.

Her mind drew constantly to the mysterious, black suited figure that had eluded her upon her visit to Shinra, in the midst of the file burning. She was certain he was the key. But he was a billow of smoke: there for a moment and then gone.

Carried to her limit, Lightning gave in and pushed the door to Reno's office open. The blinds were closed and the lights and every electronic had been shut off, including the phone. His surroundings lay dark and musty. The windows had not been open for a long time. It made Lightning grit her teeth.

"Reno!" She snapped, peering towards his desk. His chair pointed towards the window so that Lightning could not see his face.

"I said I needed some time alone," mumbled Reno, but Lightning banged her fist on the desk in frustration. "You've had enough damn time to yourself!" She roared, and Reno swiveled around to look at her. His eyes were black coals, smoldering and crackling as they moved back and forth.

"I'm the leader of this damn division, aren't I?" he seethed, standing up and leaning forward. "I was the one who got the damn job, wasn't I? I filled out the fucking application, I got the fucking job, I left the fucking Turks, and Shinra, and I think that I should have the fucking right to do whatever the fuck I want!" snarled Reno, jabbing his finger into the papers that had been left on his desk. They held sign offs for moving Hojo to the necessary correctional facility.

"You think that I'm just giving up because I'm lazy?" he added, shaking his head. "I'm giving up because I know that we don't have a chance!"

"I know who killed Sephiroth," Lighting growled, trying to control her own temper. But Reno laughed at her.

"So who did it?" he gushed, his nose hovering inches from Lightning's own as he bared his teeth. "Grace me with your almighty wisdom, I'd love to know!"

"Back off." Lightning intoned, and Reno stepped away, waiting for her to speak.

"It was the black suited man I saw in Shinra." Muttered Lightning, sending Reno into another fit of laughter. "Great fucking job!" he whooped, clapping his hands. "Now where is the evidence? Are we gonna get him in court and 'nab' 'im?"

Lightning was silent as Reno exploded in front of her, screaming in every which direction. But when he lunged towards her, getting in her face again, she did not hesitate. With one swift motion, she punched him square in the face, sending him toppling over his desk. Then, she turned its corner and bent down in front of Reno's sprawled frame, his legs high in the air and his hands feeling his nose.

"The next time you get in a shitty mood, don't treat everyone like it," Lightning hissed, pulling him up by his collar and sitting him in his chair. "You forget that I am a former member of the Guardian Corps. I don't take shit."

As she trudged for the door she turned and glared. "Now you can become a proper leader to your men, or I do what I came here to do. Take over." With that the office door slammed, and Reno was left to fume. Swiveling around to the window once more, he smoothed creases from the crumped email he had printed before turning the computer off. Then Reno read aloud.

'_Reno,_

_You are an exceptional investigator, but this case is out of your league. We have sent for reinforcements from the main headquarters in the Land of Departure, they will arrive this week. The immigration division has expressed interest in your work. The customs official in Nibelhiem is retiring, and applications have been sent out to those most fit for the job. _

_ Best of luck to yo-"_

Reno ripped the email apart and wiped the tears from his eyes. A knock came on his door and he rubbed his face. But instead of Lightning, when Reno swiveled his chair to face his visitor, he met gaze with Max, who gave his chief a somber look before clearing his throat. "The truck is ready to take Hojo to the facility in southern Midgar." With a nod Reno confirmed it and mumbled for the team to get ready to depart. Once Max had left the office, Reno took a moment to look at his workspace from an objective point of view.

This was the office he had not yet gotten used to, the one that stared upon the dark and unforgiving city of Midgar from one of a hundred glass eyes. Its imposing grey form had ruled his memory for some time now. And now more than ever, it facilitated a bleak future. But with a sigh Reno stood and trudged to the cubicle space outside.

Grabbing Kid's water bottle from his desk as he passed, Reno tapped its aluminum frame against the side of the cubicle to gain everyone's attention. The whole office pointed towards him in wait of speech. So with a sigh Reno explained. "It's the time we've all been waiting tooth and nail for." This garnered a small chuckle. "There will be reporters as we go about our business. Ignore them. It's been good working with you all on this case..." faltering, Reno looked onto the faces of his colleagues with furrowed brows and pursed lips. Surrounding him was a sea of people he knew and liked. Max, Kid, and even Lightning, stood out to him as friends. But their faces were dark and bent in farewell.

"Let's move Hojo," he muttered, so all nodded. Max and Kid filed to the section's holding cell to unlock the door Hojo rested behind. Amidst incoherent grumbling and attempts to stand, the old man was given a drink of water and told that he was being moved. Then Reno made for the cell himself, hoisting Hojo from the floor and nearly dragging him to reception, where he would be signed out. "Thank you for your kindness," Hojo croaked along the way, making Reno snort.

"_Thank you for nothing." _

Intense foreboding hung around the old man's back like a shawl, and Reno breathed it in with flaring nostrils. It made him cling to Hojo tighter. When he looked at the old man huddled against him, he noticed a strange glint in the eyes beneath his furrowed brows. Hojo was thinking hard. Looking away, Reno decided upon addressing him.

"What are you thinking about, old boy?" muttered the red head, jolting Hojo out of his reverie. At first the man shook his head. But as the party reached the elevator leading to the ground floor, he glanced up at Reno with watery black eyes that narrowed as they stared. "Just an old associate you'd be interested in hearing of," murmured Hojo. As the two men kept eyes, the blood from Reno's face disappeared and he sucked in a deep breath. From the time of Hojo's statement to this, he had not breathed at all. "Who?" whispered Reno, his heart pounding. But Hojo shook his head. "Not now," the old man whispered. "Too many bright eyes."

Lightning was waiting on the ground floor as they exited the elevator, her arms folded at her back. When she met eyes with Reno she set her sunglasses against the bridge of her nose and pulled up beside her companion as they trudged for the front doors. The cries of reporters waiting to question Hojo grated against Reno's ears as he stepped before the glass double doors of the Midgar Division building. His somber reflection seemed to look past him, out onto a strange plain above.

"How do they always know our next step?" Reno muttered, indicating the reporters. Lightning grinned in response. "They scuttle in under the floorboards. Nasty problem," she added, making Reno laugh in spite of himself. As the full group stopped before the double doors, Reno blinked and rummaged in his pocket for a handkerchief, rubbing the space beneath his nose to stall. "You sure you have nothing else to say before we leave?" he asked Hojo a final time. But the old man stared from Lightning to him and shook his head, making Reno nod. After shoving the hanky back in his pocket Reno and Lightning glanced at each other through the same expression. Then, with a collective nod they moved forward, pushing the double doors open and bracing themselves as a massive gust of wind blew mid summer heat against their faces. As soon as their feet moved over the threshold to the outer world, time seemed to slow, and Reno took in every blink, every sniff, every movement the world around him made. When he looked into the mass of reporters in front of the building he spied the truck that would take Hojo, its back door open and ready. But when his eyes drew to its surroundings, his breath stopped and his body tensed.

Amongst a moving heap of cameras, microphones labeled with news company's titles, wide red lips, and coifs of hair, there was still, dark man, dressed in black save for the crimson lining of his collar, the rims of his sunglasses, and the tie against his throat. The sunlight glinted off his shades as he stared at Reno and the grin on the corners of his mouth grew as his hand fell against the breast of his dress jacket. A metal object was being retrieved from within, a small one that glinted off the sun a sleek grey, its hilt fitting perfectly in the curve of the young man's fingers. Then it moved and pointed. It pointed at Lightning.

Reno's muscles reacted like a bullet, flinging Lightning behind him as the sound of gunfire reverberated through the air. With closed eyes he waited for a dull pain. But as the screaming began and Reno chanced to look around him, he was not the one who fell. In horror he widened his eyes and watched in shock as Hojo crumpled beside him. Down the building steps the reporters went crazy, mashing back from the crime scene in waves as they spoke into their microphones. Reno stumbled towards the gurgling Hojo in a daze. But when gunfire set off again, Reno's mind clicked into motion. In one lunge he slammed Lightning to the ground just as the bullet whizzed over her head and into the chest of the investigator that stood behind her. When he crumpled as well, Reno glanced back to see his face. Max.

The crowd was wild now, screaming in terror as they climbed over one another and back towards their news vans. Two more shots sounded before the mass of reporters fled to the remote edges of the street and the investigators pulled the injured back within the building. Reno and Light remained crouched on the ground beneath the entrance's overhang, while the man in black stood on the other side of the street, concealed still. He had not once shot his gun. When Lightning spotted him she aimed her own weapon. But before she could shoot, he was gone. Cursing, the pair returned to the building lobby, where Reno rushed to Max's side and gripped his hand as Lightning crouched at his back. Kid was huddled over Hojo, dubious as he padded at the man's throat and wrist.

"Stay with us Max!" Lightning snapped. "Call an ambulance! Stop staring and do something!" she screamed, and the receptionist dashed for the phone wile the other investigators trailed behind.

"I should have ducked," Max gurgled as Lightning tried to stop the bleeding. She stared on his wounds with a cool expression. "It was my fault, Max," Reno gulped, "I was tricked."

"You couldn't have seen it coming, Reno," Lightning snapped in return, and the conversation ended.

Soon the wail of sirens descended at the exit to the building's side and a group of paramedics charged inside the lobby with rolling cots, banishing Reno as they felt Max's pulse and took care of the bleeding. Once this was accomplished he was set on a cot and given oxygen before being rushed out. As his group left, another entered. Armed forces. They brandished their badges to Reno as they pushed past and stepped towards Lightning, whom they exchanged handshakes with before she spoke to them. Reno looked on the event wordlessly. Then Lightning whistled to gain the whole lobby population's attention. Once she had gained the eyes of every officer in the room, Lightning pointed to the armed forces at her side.

"These are soldiers affiliated with King Mickey of Disney City. Some possess former ties to the WRO while others were previous investigators." Pursing her lips, she took a moment. Then she continued, "Due to the constant influx of hate mail directed at Hojo and our precinct over the past month, and due to the wide coverage of this case by Midgar's news outlets, we cannot deduct whether this was a crime of hatred or a terrorist attack against the Investigation Bureau itself. But from this moment we will treat this case with utmost importance." Nods of approval characterized every face in the small crowd. But Lightning looked to Kid first, setting her hand against his shoulder. "Would you mind taking charge for a couple of hours?" she murmured. Though Kid's face was pale with grief he nodded vigorously, smiling at Lightning before he turned to address the troops. Then Lightning traveled to Reno's side, beckoning for him to exit the building with her. Without speaking they hurried to Lightning's coupe, parked out back. As the pair drove to the hospital Reno rubbed his face, his nerves wrecked. Lightning stared ahead as she gripped the wheel. There was cold silence for about ten minutes, until Lightning cleared her throat and averted her eyes.

"I'm flattered that you would sacrifice yourself for me," she whispered, and Reno snorted.

"Well isn't that what you were doing?" Lightning snapped in return. Reno fell silent. "You put yourself in front of me," she continued. "You chose me over Hojo."

"I didn't know that he was going to get shot!"

"You were guarding him like you thought something would happen!" barked Lightning back. There was silence again.

"What went down?" she asked, and Reno took a deep breath.

"I saw the man who you said killed Sephiroth. He was in the crowd. He had a gun, and he looked straight at me before pointing it at you."

"But someone else shot Hojo?" replied Lightning, and Reno nodded. "There must have been a sniper in one of the buildings above. He shot Hojo and that shattered my guard. Then you were open. And he tried to shoot you, but I pushed you down…"

"… And the bullet hit Max," Lightning muttered. Then, she shivered. "It's been a while since I've almost been killed." With a chuckle she stole a quick glance at her partner, murmuring, "So you think this all went according to their plan?" Reno shrugged. "How did he know you'd guard me?" Lightning asked, but Reno shook his head.

"Do you think they know that you like me?" added Lightning. Reno snorted before shaking his head. "How could they?"

"They may have someone on the inside."

"I flirt with girls all the time," responded Reno. "They couldn't have thought you were any different."

Lightning looked perplexed. "Why would they want to kill me?"

Though tired beyond comprehension, Reno smiled. "What else can they do to get you off the case?" he asked. "You have no family, nothing to be threatened by."

"But why _kill _me?"

"Because you're good," responded Reno. "To them you are the real foe. If you had have been in control of this case, we would have gotten him by now. That's why they want you dead. With you here they lose."

"You were the one who solved the picture," muttered Lightning.

"Yeah, and look where that's gotten us," Reno barked. "All our leads are dead. And..." Reno faltered, blinking quickly to dismiss the tears in his eyes.

Lightning shook her head. "The wound wasn't terrible. He may have a collapsed lung, but he might be okay."

"I hope so." Reno mumbled. Silence overtook the car again, and for a moment both inhabitants remained quiet. Then, Reno felt warmth against his hand, and smiled as he noticed Lightning slip her fingers beneath his and squeeze. "Thank you, Reno." Murmured the investigator. And they drove on.

...

Instead of answering the incessant knocking at the front door, Axel stayed heaped against the cushions of the living room couch. When he resituated himself, the left leg of his trousers would pull up, so that the tracking bracelet attached to his ankle shone. The searing image hurt Axel's eyes, so he shoved his jean leg back over the metal and lied back, closing his eyes. The sound of Lea's video games blared from the bedroom upstairs, intermitted by an occasional laugh from Isa. Downstairs, Lea's fruit ball cleats sat by the front door on an old towel, grimy with new mud. If any dirt had made its way to the floor in transit, Axel had cleaned it up by now. Since Ventus stopped showing his face Axel had run out of things to do in between visiting Marluxia. Most of the time he found himself cleaning. Now, as he sat watching TV, he liked to think shame kept Ventus at bay.

More furious knocks pounded against the frame of the hall door, and Lea shouted for Axel to answer them. Sighing in frustration, Axel heaved to his feet and stumbled to the front hall to open the door. When he glanced through the peephole, a silver head of hair greeted his vision. On the porch stood Riku. Once the door was opened and the two met eyes, Axel lounged against the doorframe and slipped his hands into his pockets. Riku did the same.

"What brings you here?" Axel asked. Riku shrugged. "I was just wondering if you'd help me with that thing."

"What thing, Riku?"

"The thing from Aerith's party!" hissed Riku in reply. For a minute Axel played dumb. Then, with a snort he rolled his eyes. "You mean the sex?"

"Kind of." Riku mumbled. Tapping his chin, Axel cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips, responding, "I remember you saying you wanted to 'try me out', am I right?" Riku gave a grim nod before adding, "but there's something I need to set straight." And Axel waited.

"I-" Riku started. Then he sighed, muttering, "I'm not as experienced as I made myself out to be." In return Axel frowned. "You've never had sex?"

"Yeah," Riku murmured, glancing away.

After examining Riku with narrowed eyes, Axel took a deep breath, adding, "why me?"

Riku blushed, looking down. "It's important that I know how..." unable to continue out of perplexity, Riku stood dumb with his hands folded in front of him, staring at the ground through curled brows. "I'm tired of waiting," he mumbled. Then, slipping his hands from his pockets and setting his palms on either side of Axel's face, Riku looked into the red head's eyes and leaned forward. In return, Axel stood without expression, jaw clenched. But by then Riku's eyes were closed, and as his lips pressed against those of the red head's Axel let his eyelashes flutter and his shoulders relax. Hesitantly, Riku nudged Axel's cheek with his nose and caught the man's lips again. As he kissed him, Axel's hands moved to Riku's cheeks as well, until both men's forearms brushed against each other while they stroked the other's jaw. "Can I come in?" Riku whispered. Eyes still closed, Axel nodded and let Riku close the door behind them. Then, lips still locked, they stumbled towards the couch and fell against its cushions. The blanket Axel had used to cover his ankle tracker was still bundled on the end, and Axel used it to pull Riku towards him, wrapping the boy in its woolen exterior as Riku fell against him.

"Take your shirt off," Axel murmured, letting his eyes open. With a dull expression Riku nodded and pulled his t-shirt over his head. Then, he sat himself against Axel's hips and pulled the blanket around his shoulders. As Axel stared at Riku's stomach and pectoral muscles, he whistled. Blushing, Riku indicated Axel's shirt, and in compliance the red head took it off and set it to the floor. He giggled at the touch of Riku's cold fingertips, which traced around his nipples and down his abdomen in curiosity. "You're very handsome," murmured Riku. "You too," responded Axel in discomfort.

For a moment the men sat without speaking, each looking away from the other. Then, reaching his hand forward, Axel patted Riku's side and shook his head. "I can't do it," he muttered, making Riku furrow his brows. But the red head said nothing else.

"You said you'd do it, though," blubbered Riku, and Axel glared at him and crawled out from under his legs. "Yeah, well I changed my mind too. I'm entitled."

"But you can't just say you're going to help someone and then let them down," snapped Riku, as Axel picked his shirt from the ground and pulled it back down over his arms. Once clothed, the red head let the left side of his body crumple against the side of the couch, his back facing Riku. "Who are you trying to impress?" he muttered. When Riku fell silent, Axel turned towards him and raised his brows in shock. "Ventus?" he whispered. As Riku glanced away Axel snorted in disbelief. Then he snarled in hatred.

"If you think I'm going to help you impress that motherfucker you're an idiot," muttered the man. Though Riku took a breath to defend the boy, he could find no words to use, which made Axel snort. With a frown the older man added, "you know what he did to Lea, right?" Riku responded with a shrug that made Axel scowl deeper.

"For weeks I've been telling everyone about this damn trial coming up," snarled the older man. "But all you guys want to do is fuck me."

"I don't want to fuck you!" spat Riku in reply. When Axel tried shushing him, the boy leapt from the couch and raised his voice in anger. "I was just asking a favor! I don't give a shit what Lea thinks Ventus did to him!" Then, embarrassed, Riku blubbered, "or, I know Ventus has problems."

"That sounds a lot different from what you said first," hissed Axel, his hands clenched into fists. "Are you calling my brother a liar?"

Riku's eyes grew wide in reply. Then, resigned, he clenched his jaw and shrugged, making Axel stand and study him. After brief thought the red head nodded and stretched his hands to either side of his chest. But when he brought them back, his left palm curled into a first and smashed against the silver haired boy's right cheek. In shock Riku yelped as he fell back, knocking over the end table beside the couch and sending a flowerpot crashing to the ground. Then in a string of curses the silver haired boy leapt up and grabbed Axel by the back of his shirt, sending the red head face first onto the couch. As the two men fought to get the other's arms behind their backs, the floorboards upstairs creaked, and soon Lea and Isa stood on the top of the staircase in shock, Lea screaming and Isa gasping. Once Axel got a hold of Riku's throat, he forced the boy to the door and told him to leave, making Riku try one more swing. As the silver haired boy clawed for the red head's back, he glanced back at Lea and let his mouth fall open. Then, snapping it shut, Riku quit fighting and held his hands up in surrender, waiting as his opponent calmed down. With a huff Riku glanced from Axel to Lea and spit in the bushes outside the porch, before returning down the sidewalk. When he disappeared down the street, Axel shut the door behind him and kicked his foot against its wooden frame, only backing away as Isa hoisted his backpack over his shoulder and slipped out. Then Axel glanced towards Lea.

"Why's Isa leaving?" the man mumbled in oblivion. Lea responded with a grimace before hissing, "What do you think of me?" In shocked reply Axel shrugged.

"You've been telling all of your friends that I'm easy pickings, haven't you?" Lea snarled. "You think that at every corner I turn, I'll get snatched away?"

"Lea, shut up, you don't know anything-" Axel snapped, but Lea stomped his foot against the ground. "Just because you and your faggot friend got raped, you think I'm going to be, too?" roared the boy, but Axel lunged towards him and slapped him in the face. "Ventus is not my friend!" the man shouted. "And I did not get raped."

When his brother laughed in reply, Axel's expression grew dark. "But _you_ were damn close, Lea." Then, snorting, he jabbed Lea in the chest before returning to the couch and blanket.

As the younger boy watched his brother ignore him, he curled his hands into fists and spit on the stair wood. Then, charging into the kitchen, he packed a few odds and ends in his pockets and charged out the door, letting its frame slam and shake behind him. For a few minutes Axel stayed rooted to the couch, with the buzz of the television static eating at the back of his head. But in his restlessness he cursed and jumped from his seat. Then, running for his coat, he threw the door open and charged out after his brother, who had disappeared from view.

...

Ventus sat on the side of the road near his house picking gravel from the sidewalk and throwing it into the road. He had grown sick of Roxas' parents and decided to sit by himself. Summer was heavy in the air, and clung to the blonde's back in big droplets of sweat that stained his shirt. In discomfort he clawed and the nape of the collar and pulled it away from his skin. As he looked from street side to street side he examined the pedestrians throughout. Then, running his hands across the cement beside his feet, he found a stick and broke it into, using the stubs to drum against his legs. One he threw out into the road. The other he examined as if it was a cigarette, holding it close to his mouth and running his fingers over one of its broken sides. Then, as he held the bark up in front of him, he noticed from his peripheral vision a figure trudging towards him from across the street. A closer look betrayed fire red hair that only two people he knew possessed.

"Axel?" Ventus asked hopefully, as the figure above blocked the sunlight. When it shook its head Ventus furrowed his brows in confusion. "Lea?" he murmured. The boy nodded. Fishing through his pockets, Lea pulled out a little white prism and broke it from its plastic wrapping. Then, flipping up the lid, he held out the open box. In hesitation Ventus looked within it. All that looked back was a line of cigarettes, so with a laugh the blond slipped one out and shoved it through his lips. Once both boys had lit up, Lea sat down beside Ventus and looked across the road with him. In discomfort Ventus broke the silence with a cough.

"So what are you doing over here?" muttered the blonde. Lea's eyes fell to the ground and his hands entwined and flexed, so that his knuckles grew white. With a deep sigh he relaxed and looked ahead. "I just wanted to ask some questions."

"Like what?" snapped Ventus in response, taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing the smoke towards Lea's face. Wincing, Lea shrugged. "Like why you tried kissing me."

Looking at Lea closely, Ventus gritted his teeth before he responded. Then he arched his back and threw his hands in the air, stretching his spine before sighing and setting his palms behind him, his cigarette still held between his lips. "I felt like it," murmured the boy finally, taking out the cigarette with a shrug. "And you goaded me when you hugged me." While still looking forward Lea sniffed and took his cigarette out from his mouth, snubbing it on the ground. When he turned to Ventus his expression became calm and he stood. "Want to go for a walk?"

"No," Ventus replied with gritted teeth. For a moment Lea glanced downwards and nodded. Then, he looked to Ventus once more. "I'll give you something to walk for."

"Are you going to have sex with me at the tower or something?" asked Ventus, his lips curled into a sneer as he chuckled. But Lea shook his head, instead murmuring, "I've got something on my brother that you might want to know." As the boy said it, Ventus' eyes lit up like candles, while his mouth fell open. But in hesitation he narrowed his eyes before nodding. Both stood, and Ventus reached inside Lea's pockets and ran his fingers up Lea's chest, garnering nothing but a flinch from Lea. Another moment of deliberation and Ventus nodded, following Lea through the streets of Twilight Town until they turned into one of its alleyways.

As they walked Lea slid his feet along the ground, kicking up an old pair of pliers and some screws that had been beaten down into the dirt strewn across the concrete beneath them. He picked the pliers up and threw them ahead of him as far as he could. When they came upon them again, he picked them up once more, and repeated his previous actions.

"You're a long way from Disney City," Ventus commented, but Lea ignored him. Ventus saw that the boy's fingers were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white and shaking. They went on in silence until they were in a deserted part of the city, heavy with smoke from factories and the trains that came through the steel lines above. The tracks climbed high into the sky, zigzagging over one another as they blocked out half the sky's light. Still, a sliver of sun poked through, and Ventus covered his face with his palm as he looked towards it.

"This is impressive," announced the blond, as Lea walked farther ahead, towards a metal wire fence blocking the half broken concrete, half dirt floor from yellowing grass on the other side. As the grass beyond the fence stretched on, it turned green and gave way to pine trees. In the wire fence was a large hole, and beyond that hole, shining through the tips of the coniferous forest ahead, was the tower. When Ventus stepped towards it Lea finally turned around and glared at him. "Who do you think you are?" he growled, and Ventus fell silent.

"I said who do you think you are!" Lea roared, and Ventus backed away. "No one," He muttered. With gritted teeth Lea stalked forward and shoved the blond hard, before circling around him. "That's right, you're no one!" Lea hissed, wiping his nose. As the blood vessels in the boy's eyes began popping, Ventus felt his muscles go into defensive gear. "I'm sorry for what I did to you," Ventus whispered, "It was terrible. I-"

Before Ventus could say anything else Lea swung straight for his nose. Ventus dodged too late. As Lea's fist bashed into the side of his head, he felt his vision cloud. Then he fell. With a wince the older boy clenched his fists and grimaced at Lea, his throat writhing in rage. "Why do we have to fight?" he cooed, but Lea pulled him up by his hair and glared at him. "Say you're sorry."

"I already did," Ventus hissed, and Lea gave him a dig in the stomach, making him cough up blood. "Say you're sorry!" Lea roared, and Ventus looked at the ground in bitterness. "I'm sorry," He snarled, but Lea continued to punch and kick him in the stomach and the legs. Ventus protected his head. "Say it genuinely!" Lea shouted.

"I'm sorry!" Ventus screamed, and Lea spat in his face. "I bet you'll be more sincere when I beat your damn brains out!"

As Lea stalked over to the wire fence and picked up a baseball bat, previously hidden beneath the sand under the coils of metal, Ventus gritted his teeth in discomfort. In blind indecision he stood and staggered from side to side, feeling ahead of him for something to hold on to. As he did Lea glanced towards him and tapped the bat along the ground.

"You already sniveling?" mocked Lea. Ventus sniffed up the mucus traveling from his nose to the back of his throat and spit it on the ground before the red head's feet. In return Lea swung the bat towards Ventus' ribs. Without thinking, the blond put his arm before him to shield his side. When the bones cracked and broke through the skin, Ventus cried out in pain. His vision was stained by black dots. "You shouldn't have come here!" Lea screamed, and raised the bat up again.

"Wait!" Ventus shouted, and Lea hesitated. "Are you really going to kill me?" croaked the blond, but Lea gripped the bat tightly, looking down at Ventus with a nervous expression. Ventus narrowed his eyes, blinking in an effort to see clearly. "You're not the bad person, Lea. So why are you trying to kill me?"

"You tried to fuck me," Lea seethed, tears running down his cheeks, and slammed the bat down. Ventus dodged it. "Stop it!" the blond screamed, so Lea discarded the bat, flinging it from him as far as he could. A metal clanging sounded as it hit the ground. Five meters away Lea circled around Ventus, his eyes wide with thoughts of what to do next. Below him Ventus shielded himself with his good arm. "Lea," muttered the boy, "You're not like this, you can't do it."

"Don't talk me out of this," Lea shouted. "I'm not a dumbass. I'm not a coward." Ventus copied Lea's movements, his muscles tensing. His head and arm throbbed. "I'm not a baby," Lea seethed, clenching and unclenching his fists. With a grim expression he looked back to where the baseball bat had fallen. Then he faced Ventus, stepping backwards until his heel tapped the bat's handle. Kneeling down, he felt around its wood and listened as the metal clanging resounded again. As his fingers curled around them, the rusty pliers glistened in the evening sun. "I know something that will make_ you _cry," growled the boy, stalking back to Ventus. When he realized what was in Lea's hand Ventus reeled back and swung his fist at Lea's approaching form, which dodged and took hold of Ventus' broken arm, twisting it to make his legs buckle. As Ventus clawed at Lea's face with his good hand, Lea closed the pliers around the nail on Ventus' left thumb.

"Are you sorry?" Lea shot at Ventus, but Ventus snapped back, "I've already said I'm sorry." Lea clenched his teeth in anger and ripped out the nail on Ventus' thumb, pushing it back and forth until it separated from its bed. As the pain traveled up Ventus' arm in tendrils he howled. The blood streaming from the mangled appendage softened Lea's grip, so that Ventus slipped from grasp and tumbled to the ground in agony, clutching his hand to his chest. The shadow curling over his back hissed words regarding teeth. But the pain engulfing Ventus' head garbled the message and thwarted his power of sight, which was swimming in an angry haze.

From his peripheral vision Ventus noticed Lea stalking to his side. The pliers had been discarded and a look of revulsion painted the boy's face as he caught sight of Ventus' mangled finger. Behind the red head and beyond the barrier guarding Twilight Town from its forest a figure bobbed forward, out from the trees and towards the chain link fence. With speed it leapt atop the steel frame and hurled itself to the concrete ground below, attracting Lea's attention. A taller, thinner figure intercepted from the opposite direction, past the cobblestone path tracing back to the town square. As it lolloped it screamed.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, LEA!"

Lea dropped his bat just as the form from the fence bulldozed him from behind. A cloud of dust rose as the bigger form shoved Lea into the dirt, and in the ensuing chaos Ventus crawled forward to grip Lea's hair, turning the boy's head until it afforded a nice clip in the nose. When Lea attempted biting him, Ventus hit him in the stomach. Blood spilled from the younger boy's nose as he coughed and struggled under the grasp of the mysterious figure shouting from above. His face was ground further into the dirt. When Ventus squinted his eyes and wiped away the sweat from his lids, he saw that his savior possessed a head of silver hair.

"Riku?" Ventus whispered. But his companion did not respond.

As dizziness swept over him Ventus stumbled until he collapsed against the wire fence, clutching his stomach with his bad arm as he gripped coils of metal with his good one. Then with a groan he bent forward. Now the silver haired man was scurrying towards him, leaving Lea in the dust and multiplying. The twins inverted and parted like baubles in a kaleidoscope as Ventus' vision drew black. When he attempted straightening his back, his stomach lurched and his lunch spattered on the ground in front of him. Yet before he could tip forward into his stomach acid, a set of arms pulled him to the side and set him against the ground. There were two faces speaking and glancing towards his arm. Both had silver hair and greenish blue eyes. "Rikus?" Ventus gulped, his eyes moving from one face to the next, and Riku stroked his hair.

Behind, Lea stumbled to his feet and stalked towards the taller figure, which was now close enough to touch him. When the tall man offered his shoulder to Lea, though, the boy pushed past it and continued through the alleyway. As Riku watched, he hoisted himself to his feet and screamed, "Bring that fucker back, Axel!"

"He's bleeding!" roared the tall man in response, grabbing Lea by the chin and looking at his face. "Who made him bleed?"

"I did," responded Ventus, spitting acid on the ground. Axel's long shadow stalked towards him in reply, moving until it cast the blonde's body in darkness. "You should be ashamed of yourself," the red head growled, and curled his fingers around Ventus' collar. In response Riku shrieked for him to stop, flinging towards Axel until the man backed away. "Look at his arm!" the silver headed boy roared, and Axel peered towards Ventus' red stained chest in shock. The blood still spurted from the nail against Ventus' tan skin, and a thin line trickled from around the exposed bone of Ventus' forearm. Without effort Ventus whimpered as tears escaped his eyes, making Axel's lip curl in distaste.

"Do you see what Lea did to Ventus?" Riku shouted, and Axel looked over at Riku without expression. "He brought a fucking pair of pliers and a baseball bat along with him! They weren't scrapping, Lea was trying to fucking kill Ventus!"

From the alleyway another set of footsteps padded, until Isa stood at Axel's side in terror. His cheek was red and puffy. "Axel," he whispered, clutching the red head's shirt and pulling the man towards him. "Lea says he's running away. He got mad at me for telling on him."

"Shit," Axel responded with a tight voice. Though he looked towards Riku with rage, he left the boy's side and followed Lea's young friend, until only two were left in the clearing. While Ventus vomited again, Riku made sure the boy's clothing was not close to the bile.

"Do you still hate me?" asked Ventus between ragged breaths. Riku shook his head and Ventus chuckled. "Just leave me here and I'll go home myself," added the blond in a slur, so that Riku rolled his eyes and hoisted the young man up. The sound of an ambulance rose from beyond, making Ventus' brows furrow in confusion. Then with realization he clutched Riku's stomach with his good hand. "Don't tell them what happened," he whispered. "I deserved it."

"What?" barked Riku, as the vehicle sounds came closer. Beside, Ventus shook his head and bent closer to his companion's ear. "If you tell the truth you'll never see me again."

As the ambulance parked at the edge of the alleyway, paramedics swarmed towards the clearing and broke Riku from Ventus' grasp, hoisting the smaller boy onto a stretcher and wheeling him back towards the car. In shock Riku watched as the men packed Ventus into the back of the van and shut the door behind them, tapping the driver's window to signal the time to leave. Then, without a wave Riku watched as it disappeared.

...

It was dark when Axel reached his front porch. The house lay bereft of life, save for a sliver of light shining from the upper hall's side bedroom. As he looked towards it Axel grimaced. Then, wiping his sweating palms on the sides of his jeans, he closed one hand around the doorknob while he reached for his key with the other. Once the door had been unlocked and opened, Axel crept inside the front hall and shut the portal behind him, remaining as silent as possible as he distributed his keys back to his pocket and took off his shoes. With held breath he tiptoed towards the stairs at the back of the living room and leapt up two at a time, careful to skip the bent wood that creaked upon pressure. Still, there was the softest whisper from the old oak. Biting his lip, Axel waited to see if anything moved in the bedroom. Nothing happened. Instead, the same feverish pulling and banging of drawers continued. Within Lea's bedroom door there was a loud thud and cursing. The voice inside sniffed and whined as its owner continued folding fabric.

Chancing a breath, Axel nodded to himself and leapt down the stairs again, heading towards the kitchen where the phone sat on its receiver. When he reached it, Axel swept it up and took it towards the first floor bathroom. Then, shutting the door behind him, he hunted around in his pocket for the piece of paper he'd scribbled two numbers on. With bitten lip he dialed the second and waited. Above his head the floorboards creaked as Lea traveled from the second floor to the first. Just as Axel turned off the bathroom light, Lea stalked through the kitchen and knocked on its door. Cursing, Axel opened it as Lea prepared to kick the wood with his foot. For a moment the brothers were silent, Lea's duffle bag slung over his shoulder and Axel's phone held to his ear. Without words Lea held his hand forward. Instead of responding Axel shook his head and sat back on the toilet seat.

"Give me the phone," Lea growled, but Axel ignored him. "I need to call Reno," said Lea, but Axel held up his forefinger for the boy to wait. The man was surprised when Lea fell silent. The phone's dial tone continued to ring until a recorded message began. Yet just as Axel cleared his throat to leave a message, the line turned on, and a garbled voice answered.

"Reno?" Axel tried.

"_Howdy doo!"_ a slurred voice responded. There was a beeping sound in the background and the padding of feet in a hallway, but other than that the environment seemed silent. Though Lea held his hand out for the telephone, Axel ignored at and leaned back against the toilet tank. "Get a pack for your face," muttered the man. Per expectation Lea refused movement. So Axel scowled and continued speaking.

"You'll never guess what Lea did today," sighed Axel, rubbing his eyes.

"Give me the phone," seethed Lea. His hand was trembling with rage. When he repeated the statement Axel only spoke louder.

"He took a baseball bat to a kid's arm and ripped out one of his fingernails. A minute later and he would have fired through the fucker's teeth."

"Liar!" Lea snarled, letting his duffel bag fall to the floor as he stared his brother down. "You didn't tell Reno what he did to me." Though Axel was listening to Lea his attention returned to his older brother, who was now singing loudly through the line. Axel's brows furrowed as he asked if Reno was drunk. His brother only laughed in reply. As the phone broke from Axel's ear and traveled to his lap, Lea sucked in a deep breath and stepped forward, reaching out his hand. Instead of noticing Axel ran his finger over the end call button. When he raised his thumb to hang up Lea lunged for the telephone and clawed at Axel's eyes, gritting his teeth as Axel yelped and tumbled along with the tank lid to the ground. The porcelain smashed, but as Axel lay cursing, Lea swept the phone into his arms and charged for the kitchen, firing through the front hall and lunging up the stairs to his bedroom. Within seconds he heard heavy footfalls behind, but miraculously the boy was able to shut and lock his bedroom door before Axel slammed inside.

"Reno, Reno!" Lea wept as Axel cursed outside his room. The man was body slamming the boy's bedroom door in an effort to unlock it. Across the phone Reno was mid-song, and only when Lea had shouted himself hoarse did the man finally hear his voice.

"_Lea!" _resounded the voice of all the younger boy's hopes, and there was laughter on the other end of the phone line. _"Boy, am I glad to hear you, my little cherub!"_

"Lea, I poked Axel in the eyes and he's going to kill me," Lea croaked. Outside of his bedroom door Axel protested that he wouldn't kill Lea. He'd just severely disfigure him.

"_And I'd believe him if I were you!" _drawled Reno across the line, laughing at the apparent fear in Lea's voice. _"I believe he's racked up a few casualties himself." _

"What?" blubbered Lea. His bedroom door buckled under Axel's weight as the man screamed for Lea to hang up the phone. But the boy was unable to register the command.

"_You heard right, Lea. Killed a guy for trying to do the right thing, no less. I believe his last words were, 'I don't want to go'. Cute. Axel and I had a little chuckle over it the last time we talked."_

"What is he telling you?" roared Axel from outside. When he received no response he growled and kicked the door with his heel. Then he was gone. His footsteps echoed as they descended the stairs. There was banging through the kitchen as Lea listened to Reno blather.

"Well, uh, does that mean I can come live with you in Midgar?" gulped Lea. "I really hate it here."

"_Midgar was never going to happen, Lea."_

There was silence across the line. Then Lea spoke again, this time in the childish voice he got when he was upset. "Why not?"

"_Are you kidding me? I can't support a kid in this environment. But when I move to Nibelhiem, now that's a different story."_

"What?" Lea blubbered.

"_I'm being laid off in a month, buddy. Going to be a customs officer at the local airport. Do you like rain? Cause there's a lot of it down there." _

"But what about your Investigation Bureau job?" responded Lea with more resolve, making Reno burst into laughter.

"_What do you think the meaning of 'laid off' is, man? It means I'm fired!"_

"But you used to be a spy!" Lea hissed in response, standing and pacing towards the window. Someone was ascending the stairs again. To counter Axel's possible entrance Lea moved his desk chair until it secured the door lock. When a key slipped inside the doorknob from the outside and jingled about, the chair was there to stop the door from opening. A sliver of Axel's form was visible through the space between the door and the desk, but not enough for him to reach inside to get rid of his obstacle. With a growl the man slunk back down the stairs, where there was a large crashing sound in the laundry room closet.

"_Uh, about the spy thing... I kind of lied." _In the ensuing silence Reno snickered, suddenly losing his gumption. With hesitation he continued, _"I was actually part of a terrorist organization called the Turks."_ Again there was silence. _"Well, maybe terrorist is the wrong word for it, because it was all internal. I was more like a professional assassin- wait. I was the guy with the icky jobs."_

Suddenly the phone clicked and another line opened up, making way for a new voice. It was Axel.

"_What the fuck have you been spouting, Reno?"_

"_Nice to hear your voice, too, Axe. I was just informing little Lea about our pasts. You know, the part where you and I killed people. In my drunken stupor I decided he was old enough to know."_

"_I never killed them," _Axel growled in return. _"I was paid to shut people up."_

"_You almost killed one. Has he been found, yet?" _

"_Lea you need to hang up the phone,"_ Axel warned._ "Reno is drunk. He's spouting shit."_

"_I like the progression, though. I kill a city, Axel kills an organization, and Lea kills a kid. We're all redeemed in the end."_

"I'm sorry!" Lea screeched, banging his fists against his window ledge and sliding against his bedroom floor.

"_Okay, I've got a few questions. Did he hurt you? If so, will he hurt you again?"_

"But I," blubbered Lea. Across the landline Axel was seething, but even he remained speechless.

"_Would he have hurt you again if you didn't do what you just did? And by the way, whether he deserved it or not is regardless."_

"So... are you saying what I did was right?"

"_Right or wrong, wrong or right. It doesn't really matter as long as you're able to look after yourself."_

"_That's not true, Lea, you've got to be honorable," _tried Axel. His last few syllables were drowned out by Reno's riotous laughter. As Axel howled at him the man could hardly contain himself, snorting and hiccupping as he attempted stifling his giggles to little success.

"_Now Axel, let's not command the boy to an effect we haven't mastered yet."_

"_I'm trying you fucking shit!" _

"_When Lea and I are sipping cocoa on my Nibelhiem porch, we're going to have a grand old time talking about you. Chow." _With that the phone line clicked off, and Axel was left cursing on the other end like a fool. Soon this second line was turned off as well, and downstairs there was the sound of a chord being ripped from its socket. There was more banging in the laundry room. But then the house fell silent, and Lea was forced to climb into bed and close his eyes, believing that what had been said in the last half hour was the tail end of a bad dream.

...

When Lightning returned the office was empty. It was only as she passed by the drab desks that she remembered a briefing was being held in the basement floor, attended by every member of the BI save for herself and Reno, who had been given leave to keep Max company in the hospital. Whether he had followed the advice, Lightning did not know. Rather than relief, insult had colored his voice after he received the news. But he did leave. And now, while the rest of her world spun in turmoil Lightning breathed in the peaceful interior of the open cubicles as her vision fell against one in particular. With a sigh she lumbered towards Max's desk and ran her fingers over its wooden exterior, pursing her lips as her fingers fell against the paper calendar acting as a mouse pad for his computer. Suddenly the machine hummed to life, searching for a signal before its screen came into view. He had locked his account before leaving with Hojo. Biting her lip, Lightning pulled out his chair and sat down, pressing towards the computer and logging in to her own account. Then she felt inside her pocket for Max's desk key, which she had retrieved inside the hospital. She had been given leave to keep it safe. But now she used it to unlock the drawers of the metal desk and open them.

The long center drawer held an open plastic chest of various odds and ends- paper clips, staples, rubber bands, erasers, post it notes, and the like. There was even a magnifying glass. A picture of a woman with dark skin and long black hair was taped underneath. Beside it was a notebook of odd scribbles Lightning could not understand. On the right side of the desk were two short drawers and one tall, which held upright files and folders. As Lightning thumbed through them she noticed the familiar email chains she and Reno had sent out. Max had printed and marked them up dutifully, even adding notes in their margins. But at the very back, away from the rest, there laid a thick, snap tied folder with a pile of clippings and a black leather book. Biting her lip, Lightning reached inside the tall drawer and curled her fingers around the folder's underside, heaving it up and setting it in her lap so that she could sift through its contents.

The clippings were from various newspapers and magazines. Any full pages had been copied from the Internet or from confidential Bureau files, hole punched and woven together like a manuscript. The black book was filled with once blank pages, now overcome with scribbles decoding the clippings they described. Everything was so highlighted and underlined that the pages seemed delicate enough to disintegrate at the touch of a finger. Lightning knew that Max had worked for the Investigation Bureau for a few years. She also knew that the Bureau had been after Shinra almost twice as long. But never had she suspected the extent of Max's interest.

As she skimmed over them, one of the clips caught Lightning's eye in particular. To examine the picture it headlined more clearly she retrieved the magnifying glass from the long drawer, setting it over her eye and adjusting its distance. The article was about Xehanort. It was the only one centered on him in the whole pile of clippings.

"What an elusive old man," Lightning sighed to herself, peering at the page. It was entitled_ 'Rebuild Shinra or Let It Fall to Dust.'_

Its picture depicted Xehanort at a podium surrounded by balloons and streamers. There was a banner behind his head, but Lightning could not make out its letters. Underneath the caption read, '_New benefactor arises in favor of rebuilding the great Midgar after Meteor destroys the city and gives way to new surrounding Edge. His opinions on Geostigma and Deepground receive mixed reactions from the crowd, along with his plight to rebuild Shinra.'_

Lightning stopped reading and looked up, dumbfounded. The article dated '09, after Midgar fell to the meteor but not long before the WRO became aware of Deep Ground. Xehanort had been the first to speak of reviving Shinra. He had been the WRO's first political opponent. As Lightning thought about it she sat back and chewed on the tip of Max's pencil. After Rufus Shinra was assassinated, the WRO lost its funding while Shinra reinstated operations in Midgar. Once Sephiroth became the resurrected Shinra's president, its true power revived. And now after his death, his son Kadaj took charge. There was a disturbing connection between the old and new organization.

As she thought, Lightning stood and began pacing. Xehanort was a well- respected official, known from Gaia to Pulse. He had enormous power. And he seemed involved in so many events across such a vast distance. As she contemplated it Lightning got a chill. Then, rubbing her arms she turned away from Max's desk and slipped his paper clippings and black book back within his folder. After locking everything up and stepping aside the lights at the rear of the office began switching on. When Lightning turned towards the front double doors she met eyes with Kid, who shuffled in exhaustion before waving and settling into his own desk seat. For a moment Lightning stared at him. Then she called out his name. With a responding glance the young man asked what the matter was.

"Just wondering how the meeting went," murmured the woman. In return Kid snorted and rubbed his eyes with a sigh. There was silence again, until Lightning continued, "Hey Kid?" After her sole companion looked up she paused.

"Do you have anything on Xehanort?"

"Well he's looked suspicious for years, Lightning," murmured Kid in puzzled reply. "But we can't find anything on him."

"What was he before? To Shinra at least?" Lightning elaborated and Kid sighed.

"He was an old friend of President Shinra. He raved about Mako energy when it was discovered, and continued to do so for years. We think that he was involved in the company in some way, but we can't get anything other than him being a benefactor."

Lightning nodded to herself, and then shifted towards her own computer, refreshing her screen and searching the Bureau's database to see if there was any information on him. One article made her snort in derision. It described how Xehanort's "subtle, caring nature had given him a penchant for helping the poor and desolate", with a picture of him surrounded by a horde of emaciated children. She was about to click away from the article when one of the youths caught her eye. When she peered closer her heart nearly stopped.

It was the man with the gun.

Lightning did not know how she knew it was he. He looked so different. In the crowd outside the Bureau he had been wearing sunglasses and a hat that covered his dark hair. But when Lightning had tailed him in Shinra, he was only wearing the shades.

Judging from the article picture, his hair hadn't changed much. But there was something different about it when he was a child. It was not as striking as it was now. It was black, but it was not _jet-_black. In this print his beady, mud brown eyes stared from sickly pale skin towards the camera, devoid of emotion. Curious, Lightning read through the caption beneath.

"_Xehanort stands beside future inhabitants of the Orphanage for Children With Intellectual Disabilities in The Land of Departure. With his financial help, new facilities for the children will be created."_

The caption puzzled Lightning and in her confusion she looked from the picture to the words below it several times. This pictured, muddy eyed boy that stared ahead with an empty gaze, a boy who in the caption had been dubbed 'intellectually disabled', could never have become the man Lightning had seen in Shinra. But as Lightning pieced her doubts together her eyes widened.

Before his death President Shinra had been a close confidant to Xehanort. This same man whom Xehanort called friend had employed Hojo to genetically engineer soldiers such as Sephiroth so that their mental and physical abilities took superhuman capacity. Who was to say that Xehanort could not have done the same thing with this boy?

Hungrily Lightning searched for the date of the article. The picture had been taken fourteen years ago. As she clicked on a new tab and searched for information regarding the Orphanage her heart began beating faster. She cursed under her breath when she found that the establishment had been shut down a few years after Xehanort's financial help, its dissolution cited as being due to the physical abuse of the children living there by the staff. There were terrible pictures of the Orphanage's living conditions, but in order to find the names of former inhabitants, one had to contact the archives of the Land of Departure, located in the college there. With a grin Lightning typed in _"Land of Departure College phone number"_, in the search engine. Only when she was about to enter the digits into her phone did she remember that the college had been torn down years ago and replaced by a hotel.

"Dammit!" Lightning hissed, infuriated yet intrigued. But she continued searching.

Salvation came through the fact that the archives had been moved to an alternate location. There was a contact number on their website. Lightning was onto the receptionist within seconds, but there was a recorded voice introduction on the line before Lightning was transferred to a real human being. _"How may I help you?"_ asked a woman a few moments after Lightning pressed '5'. In the background Lightning heard lip smacking.

"I need information on a former inhabitant of the Orphanage for Children With Intellectual Disabilities," Lightning replied, and the woman whistled. _"Long time ago."_

"Fourteen years ago," Lightning elaborated, and the woman sighed. _"Do you know a name?"_

"No. But I know what he looks like."

There was shuffling across the line along with papers being crumpled. Then the woman was walking with the phone. _"We've just installed new cordless phones!" _she jabbered as Lightning half listened. On the other end Lightning broke from the phone and printed the online news article, tracing her hands over the picture of the boy in black when it fell into her hands.

"_Here we are!"_ sang the receptionist. _"You want fourteen years ago? That would be…'98, right?"_

"Yeah," Lightning muttered. The dating methods were different in her region.

"_Right, let's see… there were 24 inhabitants in '98. Do you want me to look through the pictures?"_

"I would love it if you could do that," Lightning intoned, clenching her palms into tight fists from anticipation.

"_Boy or girl?"_ the woman asked. "Boy," Lightning replied, "He was young at the time, around four."

"_Well that narrows it down. There were fifteen boys. What did he look like?"_

"Dark hair, brown eyes, pale skin."

"_Well, honey, about two thirds of the boys have dark hair and brown eyes!"_

"They were muddy brown. He had a blank stare. His hair was black and his skin was sickly and pale," Lightning elaborated. There was more shuffling, and the woman sighed in satisfaction.

"_I think that we might have your boy, right here. His name is Bertrand Decker and he was five years old in '98- so you were very close."_ The woman laughed across the line. She didn't know how serious the situation was. _"He is the son of Silas and Adelaide Decker. They died in '98."_

"Silas and Adelaide," Lightning mumbled to herself, typing in the names in the computer search engine. Eventually she reached an obituary for an Adelaide and Silas Decker in The Land of Departure, who _"died peacefully within hours of one another in their home."_ As she squinted at the pictures of the two she was surprised at how old they looked. The husband must have been at least sixty. The wife wasn't far behind. It must have been a shock to them when they had Bertrand. The obituary said nothing about a child. Either the family had been ashamed of him, or he had not even been the Deckers' biological son.

"Can you read me the rest of the information on his file?" Lightning asked and the woman sighed. There was a pause before she continued.

"_Height is 2'11'', weight is 33 pounds, physical appearance- well, you know that already… oh!"_ she squealed, and Lightning snapped to attention. "What is it?" she asked, and the woman let out an emotive sigh.

"_It says here that Xehanort adopted him! I didn't know he'd done that! Oh, lord, this data wasn't on the original file. I can tell by the nature of the document. This one was misplaced. I think the rest of the confidential ones got destroyed! You're very lucky!"_

Lightning smiled to herself. "Is there any way that you could send me a copy of that file?" she asked, and the woman shuffled papers across the line. _"I don't know. If they are confidential statements they aren't open to the state!"_

"It's fourteen years old. What does the guy have to lose?"

"_Well… I guess I could send you a copy- but no distribution! If I find out that you've distributed it, you'll be done in for copy right violation." _

"_I'm faxing it to you,"_ The woman added in a mumble, and Lightning hurried to the copy room, taking the paper out of the fax machine like a delicate treasure. While she returned to her desk she stared at its contents. On the phone the receptionist asked what Lightning was using the information for anyway, which made the inspector smile.

"I work for the Investigation Bureau," Lightning replied, sitting down and adding, "Would you mind standing as a witness if we needed you to?"

"_What? No, talk to Martha about that. She was there when Xehanort was interviewed after the reopening of the institution."_

"Alright," Lightning muttered, and said goodbye. Then she looked down at the paper.

Bertrand Decker. His tiny frame and far below average weight matched his gaunt features and made Lightning pity him. The Orphanage's photo of identification was of the same boy in the news clipping. Twin muddy eyes looked ahead with a melancholy gaze.

If Bertrand Decker were five years old fourteen years ago, he would be just nineteen now. Yet his tall frame and immense skill seemed more attributable to a man in his late twenties. If Xehanort had adopted Bertrand Decker the boy _must _have gone through genetic mutations to become what he was today. By now, his intellect and intuition would be incomparable. Meaning he was more dangerous than the BI imagined.

As investigators began filing into the office behind Lightning, she pondered on all the times she had gotten through situations because of luck. She wondered if luck would be on her side this time, or if it would hang on the shoulder of this dark boy who disappeared like air.


	19. The Storm Arrives

The door to Xehanort's office lay shut, but life hummed within. Ten feet away from the solid oak a loud crackling of laughter ascended, and then the hiss of a whisper that was the voice of Kadaj. As Vanitas listened he clenched and relaxed his fists, one cycle per second, watching with narrowed eyes as his knuckles transformed from white to honey. When his feet reached the end of the red carpet lining the hall and his hands unclenched once more, the dark boy reached up and settled his left palm over the office doorknob, turning it to the left and pulling the portal towards him. As he stepped within he bent low, casting his vision against the cool dark wood of the office floor. A chuckle resounded ahead of him, and the dark boy chanced glancing through his eyelashes towards his master. The old man lounged at his desk while the green eyed Kadaj leaned to his right. As he stopped to bow Vanitas examined them both. Then he straightened and cleared his throat.

"I understand you have a mission for me?" the dark boy inquired. His master nodded, and with a sigh Kadaj picked up a manila envelope from the old man's desk. In one careless stride he stretched the envelope towards Vanitas, who snatched it from his pale palm and waited with gritted teeth for his master to tell him he could open it. When Xehanort nodded Vanitas unclipped the lid and slid the papers from within, devouring their contents with his eyes. As his mind pieced together the information held within his brows furrowed in confusion. Then he looked up. Kadaj had pushed back the chair in front of Xehanort's long desk, meaning the old man wanted him to sit down. With a grimace the young man did. Then, setting the envelope back before Xehanort's chest and buttoning his own dark jacket, the young man murmured, "Destiny Islands?" and leaned back. His master nodded, watching his old apprentice with crystalline yellow irises.

"I want you to convince the BI investigators to keep their eyes away from our affairs," murmured the old man when Vanitas would not respond. "By targeting the heart of its star member."

"Sora," murmured Vanitas with hollow breath. After a long silence he glanced up. "Would you like my opinion, sir?"

"No," gargled Xehanort in response, the word bubbling up his esophagus like bile. As he swiveled his chair to the side Vanitas stood and leaned towards him with intensity.

"In my opinion," the boy continued through clenched jaw, "killing Sora would only make his father angry. If you wanted to make the Investigation Bureau work harder you should have had me kill Hojo in plain sight. If you had wanted me killed, you should have just set a pillow over my throat when I was small and too stupid to fight back!" Then in unbridled rage, the dark boy gripped a golden sculpture of the Buddha that sat on Xehanort's desk and held it in the air towards the window, winding his arm back to pitch it through the glass. While his resolve failed him Vanitas gripped the statue higher until he could not bear the slick weight of it. In agitation the boy howled and slammed the piece to the floor, kicking its golden robes to the side before stalking towards the office door. Behind him Xehanort sighed with disgust and turned to his green-eyed companion.

"How disappointing. Kadaj, I'll have you do it."

"No!" groaned Vanitas in return, grinding his teeth and turning again in his deepest bow. "Forgive me, sir, the effectiveness of the medicine..." before he could continue Vanitas' throat closed. But Xehanort nodded. "Emotional stress. Your body is at its strongest and at its weakest."

"Yes," responded Vanitas in exhaustion. In reply Xehanort pushed the manila envelope towards him once more. "I will give you complete creative freedom with him. But I have set parameters for Naminé."

"Shall I intimidate her too?" Vanitas asked dryly, making Xehanort chuckle. "I want it to look like an accident. You shall deal with the boy quickly. As for her, take all the time you need."

"Wonderful," muttered the dark boy in response. Before exiting the room he bowed. As he rose again his master tapped a long knobby finger against his bald scalp in thought.

"Vanitas?" he murmured as the dark boy's hand fell against the knob of the door. The boy turned but did not meet eyes with the old man.

"Were you in my office without my permission?"

Had Vanitas been moving he would have fallen. Instead he stood still as death. Then, slowly, the dark boy glanced up until his golden eyes faced those of his master. With a cool grin he nodded and pointed to the bookshelf. As Xehanort's vision fell against the subject of Vanitas' index finger he chuckled and nodded, waving for the boy to leave. On his way out, Xehanort called for Vanitas to leave the house without delay. The dark boy complied with a nod, the sweat from the nape of his neck traveling down the back of his suit jacket and inside the lining of his collared shirt. As the salty liquid traveled further down his spine it met with a set of flattened blue paperwork tucked into the hem of the dark boy's pants, fraying the prints' edges. While Vanitas walked he whistled.

When he trudged out from Xehanort's headquarters Vanitas sprayed himself with scent concealer and picked up a round grey machine sitting peacefully beside the back door. When he removed it from its container and set it on the ground the creature hummed to life, purring behind him and jiggling back and forth as it erased his footsteps. Ahead the dark boughs of the surrounding forest loomed as the sun disappeared beneath their canopies. Stars had begun dotting the night sky, but the lights from the City That Never Was obscured their brilliance. It would take an hour to trek through the forest depths. By the time the breath of the city glanced Vanitas' cheeks it would be very late, and the outskirts very empty.

As Vanitas moved he whistled, glancing into the green darkness surrounding with squinted eyes. Finally he came upon a looming black shape and grinned, climbing atop the tree bough beside until he could settle above the massive sphere's back. The familiar clang of metal resounded as Vanitas tapped the black tarp covering its surface. With gritted teeth he tugged at the fabric to ensure its security. Then the dark boy slid from its back and gripped the handle peeking out of its base. It took several heaves for the sphere to move. But when it was off it was off, and Vanitas sang as he trudged forward with it, through the forest and out past the line of trees consuming the Orphanage That Never Was. When Vanitas walked along the hardest part of the road his voice died to a whisper. Still the footprint delete machine hummed behind him like a little vacuum.

Once the peak of The City That Never Was's dilapidated clothing factory glimmered in the sky ahead, its neon red sign smashed to pieces while the copper within the bulbs glowed like fire, Vanitas quickened his pace until he had ventured within the open iron gate surrounding its entrance. In front of the factory itself was a courtyard littered with trash, which hitched against the wheels of the tarp covered sphere as Vanitas sweated under its weight. When Vanitas cleared the courtyard he moved towards the building's side, where huge trucks had once taken clothing shipments across the city and beyond. One old vehicle remained. A massive automatic metal door stood between the truck and the inside of the building, and with all his strength Vanitas reached his fingers under its rim and pushed upwards, pulling the handle that led the tarp covered sphere with his leg until the behemoth rolled within the building's packaging room. Vanitas continued holding the garage door until the footprint delete machine slipped inside. Then with a sigh he let the metal sheet crash to the ground. Around him everything was black, save for the white power light which shone softly from the footprint delete machine's round head. It whizzed about in curiosity, banging into old desks as it went along.

From his pocket Vanitas extracted a flashlight and turned it on, searching for the elevator. Surrounding him were lines upon lines of sewing machines on tiny white tables. Cobweb lined yarn orbited each, and shiny black spiders scuttled about as the dark boy's light fell upon them. The pry bar at the left side of the elevator remained, and with the tool the dark boy tore open the shaft door and slipped inside, sliding through darkness until his feet landed upon mangled steel. Long ago the elevator had collapsed. Now it lied destroyed at the bottom of the shaft. When Vanitas reached the mashed machine's pinnacle, he used his pry bar to open the door to the room directly above, hosting himself inside and fiddling with the equipment he had left at the other end of the room. Then, with the help of the steel rope that remained of the elevator, he climbed back to his tarp-covered sphere.

With his equipment and with what remained of the elevator pulley system Vanitas strung up the sphere, lowered it into the abyss of the elevator shaft, and through the strength of his legs heaved it inside the factory's basement floor door. Then, wiping the sweat from his brow the dark boy shimmied back to the footprint delete machine. Its little circular frame waited patiently for Vanitas to return, and when he did, he noticed that a small flashlight indented into its side had been turned on. With a chuckle the dark boy bent towards the creature and asked if it had been watching him. Then, pulling his revolver from his side he shot it. The bullet snarled through the white metal lining and set the creature's insides on fire. For one moment the factory sewing room erupted in eerie light. Then, as white dry chemical spewed across the machine's front, it was extinguished. With his flashlight Vanitas examined the remains. As he had feared, a small camera had been implanted into the creature's underside. It was not a live feed, but a recording.

With a sigh of relief Vanitas kicked the machine to the bottom of the elevator shaft and left it there. Then, taking the blueprints stored in the back of his pants, he returned to the factory basement and pulled the tarp off of the white machine.

* * *

Kairi closed her front door behind her and shielded her eyes from the sun before stretching. Destiny Islands was beautiful today. Before going any further the girl leaned against the cool wall of her parent's house, patting its side in nostalgia. The building was four stories high and long for a townhouse, so it looked like a tall fat man stuffed amongst the line of normal sized homes. This street section dotted the peak of Destiny Island's village. If one walked any higher they would meet with the natural park, which extended from the forest at the townhouses' backs over the dormant volcano that served as the city's halo.

As Kairi walked she pressed hard against the gravel beneath her feet. Salty sea air drifted against her cheek and made her grimace. She had left Demyx and Porte Royale for a week to vacation at home and see her friends. She half hoped she would run into Naminé or Xion. She had not spoken with them in a long time.

At the village dock Kairi hunted amongst the gillnetters, smacks, and trawlers for the tiny dory that held her name in uneven white lettering. On the day she received the vessel Riku and Sora had helped paint and label it. When she found it now she untied the dory and hopped inside, pushing away from the pier with her foot while taking hold of the oars. As she rowed she whistled, wincing so that she could glance towards the seagulls flying overhead. The sun was high and bright at this time. Kairi had not rowed in ages, and it was not long until her arms and legs ached from the rhythm of the oars.

A jolt ran through Kairi's legs as her boat hit the wooden poles holding the island dock into the ocean floor. After hopping up and fastening her oars Kairi reached above her head and heaved herself over the side of the dock, not bothering with the ladder. The bag she had brought along was thrown against the beach while she secured her boat. When she was finished Kairi walked down the pier and onto sand, rummaging through her duffel until she pulled out a lunchbox, towel, and an umbrella. When she settled down against the sand the umbrella lying overhead shielded her from the sun. In contentment Kairi laid back and closed her eyes. Far ahead a voice called her name.

"Kairi!" squawked the approaching voice from behind, and Kairi's eyes flew open in alarm. An upside down Selphie stared at her with curiosity. "What brings you back to Destiny Islands?" the young girl asked. Kairi smiled. "I broke up with Demyx," she decided. Selphie's eyes widened. "I thought that you two were in a band together!"

"We still are," muttered Kairi in return, sitting up with a sigh. "But that may change. I'm being given the chance at a solo career!" Then she looked away in melancholy. "It wasn't going well between us."

"The honeymoon period ended?" sighed Selphie with a knowing smile, but Kairi shook her head. "I couldn't take his carelessness," she hissed.

"About what?" responded Selphie. Kairi pursed her lips. "He wouldn't testify for Axel."

In return Selphie scratched her head. "Didn't Axel kidnap you?" the girl asked, but Kairi protested that it was because of Roxas.

"Okay," muttered Selphie in puzzlement. There was silence for a moment, and then mad laughter as Tidus ran past the parasol with Wakka chasing behind. Kairi looked on sheepishly as Tidus grinned at her. Selphie chuckled. "Thinking of the dating pool?" asked the girl. Kairi shrugged. But before she could lie back down, a splash of sea foam made contact with her chest. With a yelp Kairi shot to her feet and searched for the culprit, gasping as she laid eyes on Tidus, who ran away with a squeal of guilt.

For a moment Kairi's adventurous nature goaded her forward. But as the chill of the sea settled through her clothes and onto her bare skin, she gulped and shrank back to collect her things. As her three former friends looked upon her in confusion she murmured goodbye. Then, heaving her bag over her shoulder she padded back towards the dock, throwing the canvas duffel into her dory before climbing into its seat. Before she took up oars again, her eyes fell upon the entrance to the old secret place far within the island's tropical forest. For a long time Kairi stared upon it, wondering if she should go inside. But every time she stood her feet collapsed beneath her, until in defeat she untied the dory, took her oars in her hands, and pushed away from the dock with her foot. On the shore, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka waved to her without smiling, and she waved back halfheartedly. Then she began rowing.

Only when the sand disappeared through the deep waves surrounding did Kairi begin to hum, closing her eyes in relief as the salt air gave her new life. Far ahead an old trawler swept back and forth. The sky was heavy with clouds. Tonight or tomorrow, there would be storms. With bitten lip Kairi looked upon them and pleaded in a whisper for them to leave. But the waves picked up, and she rowed again.

It was days like this that reminded Kairi of the raft. Though it had been built it had never traversed the ocean, and now it lay broken in Sora's backyard. His parents had never been able to convert it into a tree house. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had never gone on the adventure they'd planned. On those bright evenings they'd spent building the vessel, Riku would watch the far ocean as if it were his salvation. With eyes and breath he held its hopes deep within himself. Sora's pleasures had been much simpler. Until Kairi met Organization Thirteen, so had her own. Four years ago it was just the three of them against the adult world. Now that they had all fallen headfirst into it, only Sora retained his carefree outlook. As she thought about her fourteen-year-old self Kairi got the sudden urge to call in on Riku and Sora. With newfound ferocity she rowed back to the village peer, whistling louder than she had on the way over. Once her dory clanged against the dock pilings she secured her oars and jumped upon the pier, fastening the tiny vessel to one of its black cleats before slipping her duffel bag over her shoulder and hurrying forward. First she would visit Riku. Then after dropping her bag at her house she would run to Sora's.

The first and last time Kairi had visited Riku's apartment, she had snuck after him on his way home without Sora. The complex was dirty and grey, filled with trash and fat alley cats that hissed as passersby looked upon their mottled coats. As she reached the alleyway now, she ducked behind the old trashcan where she had watched a twelve-year-old Riku shouting at his mother, who hit him on the head until he fell silent. His mother had screamed at him before shutting the door on his nose, and Riku had sat upon his doorstep sobbing for hours while Kairi stood like a dummy behind the trashcan across the street, unable to move for shock. Now she patted the blue dumpster's side and moved on with a deep breath, crossing the street and climbing Riku's doorstep. With one swift rap she knocked on the door.

For several moments there was no reply. Then, after the thumping of feet and shuffling within the front hall, the latch undid and the door was opened. A familiar head of silver hair peeked out at Kairi, but it was not Riku. This boy was older, with a narrower face and rounder eye. Though he looked upon Kairi in surprise he did not move.

"You're not Riku's friend, are you?" the boy finally mumbled, making Kairi smile and nod. Riku's brother responded with a scowl and pointed far towards the train station. "He's living with his boyfriend, somewhere in Twilight Town."

"What?" snapped Kairi in disbelief. Before she could ask anything further, Riku's door was closed and locked. In irritation Kairi rapped against its faded paint again. But no matter how hard and how long she banged, no one would answer. On the fifth knock a neighboring window opened and a boy with greased hair shouted down for her to fuck off. In reply Kairi glared at the youth and stomped back down the road, ignoring the obscenities he howled after her. For once she wished people knew who she was. In exhaustion Kairi trudged out of the projects and back towards her own street, hoisting her duffel bag further up her shoulder as she sweated under the waning sun.

When she reached her street she slung the duffel bag around her arm like a cross body and started jogging. Now the sun was far below the line of trees surrounding the natural park. No one was around save for a pair of old ladies walking their dog and a bronze, dark haired youth sitting at the edge of the sidewalk reading the paper. Kairi had not brought her watch along to check the time. Sighing to herself, the red headed girl rummaged through her pockets for her house keys and held them carefully at her side. Then her eyes made contact with her parent's house, and she frowned in puzzlement.

Standing a few meters from the door was a man with long, spikey pink hair. For a few moments he would lean against the steps leading up to the front porch. Then, as if irritation broke him free of his inaction he would dash up the steps and rap hard against the door, calling for someone within. As Kairi got closer, she recognized the sound of her name and the tips of her fingers grew cold. To conceal herself she tried tilted her head and staring out through her long red hair. The best Kairi could hope for was that the man would go away, and for a moment he did, trudging back down the opposite end of the street and giving Kairi a chance to scurry to her door. But as she jiggled the key in the lock there came the turn of gravel and the quickening of footsteps. With a sigh of relief Kairi opened the door. But now the footsteps picked up to a jog.

With all of her strength Kairi lunged inside her house and shut the door behind her, only to receive a loud thud at the threshold and a hiss of pain from the space outside. The door would not close. As Kairi pushed her hair away from her face and glanced upward, she was met with the cool blue eyes of Marluxia. The pink haired man tried slipping inside, but was thwarted by the metal ringed latch keeping the door from swinging open. Kairi had forgotten to undo it as she slipped inside. As Marluxia scowled, she tried not to grin.

"Hello," cooed the man finally, running his fingers up and down the inside of the door. Kairi had the mind to slam the oak on top of them, but his steel-toed black boot thwarted her. "What brings you into town and when are you leaving?"

With a snort Kairi responded that she needed some time off. "Why are you here?" she added.

"My girl is missing," replied Marluxia in a dull hiss. "Xion. She's been gone for days."

"Wait, what?" snapped Kairi in return, pressing closer. She could feel Marluxia's breath against her cheeks. "Xion is not anyone's 'girl'. She's completely her own. What the hell makes you think you own her?"

"I adopted her, Kairi," replied Marluxia. Then he cocked his head to the side. "Didn't you know?"

Though Kairi gasped for lack of words she tried closing the door again. Marluxia's foot still held it open. With a calculated gesture the man reached his hand further inside and grabbed Kairi by her shirtfront, moving her towards him so that they stood inches apart.

"Listen," snarled the pink-headed man, "if you are hiding her I will make you sorry. I have had it with losing and I will not lose again. No matter the cost."

As Kairi looked upon the seething creature she noticed something strange flicker in his eyes, a smear of rust beneath thick blue paint. When the glints disappeared she could not help but nod, say truthfully that she did not know where Xion was, and lie through gritted teeth that she would inform him when she found out. Though her opponent scowled he descended the front steps. Then with curled fists the man trudged towards the train station at the edge of town. As he walked Kairi watched him. When he disappeared she pursed her lips and closed and locked the door behind her. Outside it had begun raining. Far in the distance lightning forked, and several minutes later thunder rumbled in from the sea, which pulsed a vivid aquamarine. Across the horizon, dark clouds descended.

Inside as well, the air was heavy. It clung to Kairi's arms like a black shawl, and when she tried shaking it free a shiver ran up her spine, making her huddle upon herself as she looked about the empty front hall. On either side were spacious chambers, on the right the guest room and on the left the dining area. With swift beating heart Kairi tiptoed towards the metal kitchen doors and pressed through them. Lenny the cook was hard at work within, concocting several succulent smelling dishes. As Kairi looked at his small bent frame she sighed in relief and said hello, startling the old man but making him laugh. While they spoke the girl was aware of an unfamiliar lump rising in her throat, not of sadness but anxiety. As Lenny wildly gesticulated plucking a chicken Kairi attempted laughter. But instead she gulped. As the steam that rose from the frying and saucepans wafted against her face she felt faint and excused herself, scurrying back through the dining hall and up to her bedroom. Immediately she opened her window and leaned out, sucking in the sea breeze as if it were medicine.

Outside the temperature was dropping fast. Rain drops the size of quarters plopped lazily from the sky every few minutes, plunking against Kairi's hair and nose before running down her cheek. The dark clouds from the horizon were moving in fast, and the sea was already white with crashing waves. Far down the road and past the pier, the tide struck livid. When a steep wind cast dust against her chin Kairi winced and slunk to her bedroom floor. Then she looked out once more. The wind moaned through the palms outside her house, ripping yellow ribbons from their leaves and casting them into oblivion. Lightning cracked, and two minutes later thunder followed. Two miles. With a scowl Kairi contemplated closing her window. She would at least have to secure her curtains lest they flung themselves into the storm's breeze as well.

Slowly Kairi raised her fingers towards the curtains and tied them in a secure knot. Then she pressed her palms over the top of the window. As she pushed down, though, the cry of slamming wood ascended from downstairs.

"Honey, we're home!" the voice of her mother called from downstairs. Her father must have been making a call. His laughter shuddered through every fiber of the house. In relief Kairi grinned, turned off her bedroom lights, and ran down the hallway stairs. Behind her the dark room crackled with lightning and thunder. Her curtains fluttered anxiously in an arc above the window. Fat droplets of rain tumbled against the sill and down the golden yellow paint lining the walls until it hit wood floor. Some of the spray landed against Kairi's rug. But her bed was left untouched, save at least for the moisture that smoldered the quickening night sky.

* * *

The sterile air of the hospital made Ventus restless. He stared around him in frustration, taking in his little room and bed with a curled lip. Outside the sealed window a storm was brewing. The lightning from its belly ignited Ventus's temporary domain and turned his tan face an unearthly shade of blue, shocked his eyes gypsum. His pupils shrunk to pins as he watched the crackling light and listened to its dilatory roar. In the stillness the squeal down the hall of footsteps on linoleum proved deafening. Before long Ventus had covered his face with his pillow and stopped breathing, teasing with predictions of how long it could take to pass out. Then there was a knock on his door.

In surprise the blond boy removed the pillow and glanced to his left side. Slowly the door handle turned down and clicked open. A head of red fire drifted inside, accompanied by startling chrysophrase eyes. Without helping it Ventus grinned, clenching his good hand into a fist while his other stayed limp at his side. "Come to beat me up again?" the boy teased in a mumble. "You look voracious."

Lea did not respond. Instead he slipped to the side and waited for the door to close behind. His face was gaunt. But his dark eyelashes concealed darting pupils. With a shiver the boy straightened and indicated with a nod the chair sitting unused beside Ventus's bed. In return Ventus shrugged and averted his gaze to the window. He could hear the whine of metal scraping against tile, and the creak of the seat as it was sat upon. Then Lea sighed and clasped his hands. "I," began the young man. Before he could finish his statement he sniffed hard. With his left hand the boy rummaged through his pocket for a hanky. While Ventus waited he blew his nose. With a finishing sniff the hanky was returned to his pocket and his hands clasped again.

"I came to apologize," murmured the young man. His eyes were trained against the black and white linoleum floor, a floor cleaner than any surface he had ever set his feet upon. In reply Ventus snorted and shook his head, making Lea smolder. But the boy's white knuckles did not move from each other. Every movement proved precise, as he had planned. Ventus noticed.

"I found out some interesting family history the other day," coughed Lea. Still Ventus remained silent. "It turns out my big brother wasn't what I thought he was." Ventus' eyes glazed as he forgot to listen, but Lea continued, "I was supposed to move to Midgar with him. Or at least I thought I was. You get the picture."

"What picture?" asked Ventus flatly. Lea shrugged. "Oh, he just... he didn't want me to be there, with him. And he's done some... crappy stuff in the past..." the boy trailed off. In response Ventus stared at him, holding up the three-bandaged fingers on his left hand for Lea to see. It was the broken arm. Lea looked upon his work with a hollow expression. Then he chortled. "Sorry the one arm got all the, um... damage," he murmured, a hint of sarcasm coloring his words. "Would you rather I spaced it out?"

"I would have rather we fucked at the tower like you said we would," quipped Ventus.

"I never said that," growled Lea in return, his knuckles pale as snow. "I said I'd give you information on my brother."

"I liked that plan too," Ventus conceded. In front of him Lea stared between his fingers, his lips pursed together as he deliberated. Finally he looked into Ventus's eyes without qualm.

"Everyone is scared of you," hissed the red head. His face contorted with livid eyes, grimacing lips, and downturned brows. "I was too. But not anymore." Instead of replying Ventus stared. Lea loosened his hands as he continued.

"Everything in my family fell to shit as soon as our mom died," admitted the red head. "All my life I wanted to be like Reno. Axel was a fat pussy and always will be to me. But now, I'm starting to realize that all of us are more alike than I'd hoped." Now he glanced upon the storm. His face looked mature, his eyes gentle. "And I don't know that I want to be like any of them."

"Better to be yourself, huh?" Ventus cooed. His blue eyes narrowed with thought. But Lea responded with a no. "I couldn't be anyone else if I wanted to," muttered the red head.

"Well aside from your foul temper you might be a descent guy," returned Ventus.

"I would like to ask you a few questions, though," replied Lea. Ventus's forming grin disappeared.

"About Axel?"

Lea shrugged then nodded. Ventus sighed.

"Has Axel been raped?" asked Lea. Ventus nodded. "Some guy named Marluxia, I think."

"Did Axel rape you?"

Ventus did not respond.

"Are you using Axel?" Lea inquired.

"Yes. That's two answered questions."

"Okay," sighed Lea in response. "Why do you like Axel so much?"

At this, cool fire flickered across Ventus' brilliant sapphire irises. "Well," the blond began like a giddy child, sitting up and plumping the hospital pillow behind his back, "he's tall, handsome, mischievous, sexual, ... oh, and his eye shape reminds me of a friend's. Shall I continue?"

"If you want," muttered Lea in response. "None of it sounds familiar."

"Too bad," returned Ventus with a forlorn sigh. "It would be twice as hot if you liked him too." As this was said Lea's face contorted with rage. But he controlled himself. Instead of speaking he clenched his jaw and curled his fists towards each other again, in a movement that seemed to characterize his current being.

"Did you ever wonder if that's why you're always so angry with him?" asked Ventus with shining black eyes. Lea shook his head firmly. "Last question," snapped the red head, making Ventus sit up further.

After thinking carefully the young man sucked in a deep breath so that he could meet eyes with the blond once more. When he did Ventus cocked his head in curiosity.

"How will you deal with Axel if he goes to jail?"

"I won't," murmured Ventus in return. "I'll have Riku."

"What about me?"

In reply Ventus snorted. "I thought you weren't scared of me."

"I'm not," snapped Lea. "I'd just like to be ready."

"Sorry," returned Ventus, "but you've passed your question quota. Now what do I get?"

"I'll tell you about my brother," tried Lea. But Ventus shook his head and grinned. "No. I want something different." With glee Ventus watched as what little color was left drained from Lea's face altogether. While the boy did not goad Ventus to speak, his eyes betrayed yearning.

"All I want is a kiss," Ventus finally cooed. Though Lea reeled back in revulsion Ventus beckoned him forward, and after taking a moment to think about it, Lea complied. Before he kissed Ventus the red head looked upon him with a critical, sweeping glance. Something like pity colored his chrysophrase gaze. In true gentleman like fashion Lea cupped both hands around Ventus' cheeks and tried stroking his jaw, making the blonde's heart writhe in his chest though his eyes showed no emotion. Then, with a deep breath Lea bent and met his lips to the blonde's, flinching but remaining still when Ventus's good hand wrapped around his fiery hair. For what seemed like forever Lea stood with his eyes shut tight, meeting tongues with one of the people he hated most in the world. But when it was done it was gone for good. Lea parted lips with a quiet gasp and wiped his mouth with his arm before backing to the other side of Ventus's bed, the side nearest to the door. Slowly Ventus's own lashes fluttered open.

"First kiss?" murmured the blond, making Lea blush but shake his head.

"Lerena Linder in the third grade," returned Lea.

"Did you swap spit?" probed Ventus. When Lea shook his head Ventus responded, "then it wasn't real."

"It was real to me," replied Lea. For some reason Ventus worried that if he watched the boy any longer he would either throw up or break into sobs. Perhaps both.

"You know," the blond began against his better judgment, "when I was younger I got into the nasty habit of clicking with people who hurt me. People who I knew I could beat the shit out of, but didn't. Because I felt like I deserved what I got and they made me feel more strongly that I did. But I do enjoy fucking with people," added the blond with a sigh. "Makes me feel useful."

For two minutes Lea stared at Ventus without reprieve. Then he nodded and turned for the door, rummaging through his pocket again for his hanky so that he could blow his nose. After the kerchief was returned to his pants, though, he set his hand on the knob and turned back to the suddenly fragile boy in bed.

"I lied earlier," the red head murmured with narrowed eyes. "I have one more question."

Ventus looked upon Lea with horrible fear, but did not speak.

"What if," the red head cooed, "the reason you like Axel isn't that he's mischievous, or sexy, or handsome, or whatever. What if the real reason is that you're trying to recreate what you had before by rebuilding yourself. You know, you as Roxas, Axel as that guy with the nice eyes."

"What?" croaked Ventus, staring through pupils the size of saucers. "I never said anything about another guy."

"You did, actually," chirped Lea in reply. "Was he friends with you and Aqua? Was he sullen like Axel is now? Could he be a pussy when he let people shove him around?"

"I've had it with your fucking questions," gargled Ventus through anger, clenched jaw, and snot that fell into his mouth from his running nose.

"Was he a crier?" hissed Lea in reply, lunging towards Ventus and kneeling at his bedside. "Was he nice to you? Is Roxas now the way you were?"

"Stop!" shrieked Ventus hysterically, trying to shove his pillow over his mouth again. But Lea stopped him and grabbed him by the front of his hospital shirt.

"I won't let you have him!" hissed Lea in desperation. "I won't let you have any of us!"

"I hope you make whatever poor bitch ends up with you feel the same way you've made me feel in the past two days," panted Ventus in reply. With a scoff Lea let him go and trudged for the door, opening it and slamming it behind him in the blink of an eye. The squeak of his rubber-soled sneakers glanced off the linoleum hall floor for a short time. Then silence returned, and the only source of life in the room remained Ventus' ragged breath. As the boy became accustomed to being alone he sat up straight and cupped his throbbing head in his hands, wishing there was a nurse on hand to supply him with migraine medicine. Every night the headaches became worse. This one was so bad that when Ventus blinked his vision went black. Only when he realized that he could not see anything at all did he begin to panic.

As he stood and felt around for his room Ventus cringed. The tube connecting his bad arm to an IV was tugging inside his vein, causing him to feel nauseous. After several moments of fumbling he was able to grip the metal pole the IV bag was attached to and wheel it around the side of his bed. Then he slid off himself, slamming against the floor and screaming in shock as his IV tube popped out of its bag. When strange smelling liquid from the broken sac glugged against the flesh of his arms, Ventus gasped and forgot to breath. As he sat in a pool of cold viscous fluid with his legs sprawled ahead of him and the metal pole upended by his side, the boy's migraine worsened until the contents of his stomach slushed from his throat into his lap.

"Riku!" the boy cried. His vision was returning, or at least a portion of it. He gasped and cowered as images of Lea fluttered in front of him. But the pictures did not stop. As he curled upon himself they became more severe, until he was in a place he did not recognize. The storm that thundered outside Ventus' sealed hospital window howled in this place too, except it was worse. Ventus realized that he was standing in a garden, one with several palm trees and an unfamiliar half tree house nearby. On the ground surrounding were scattered planks of timber and one long thin log. White canvas for a sail clung to the interior of the half tree house like a curtain. Though Ventus tried walking towards it he found himself moving away, against his will. His head was turning towards a wide-open window. In its pushed up glass he peered at himself, but was greeted by a dark reflection with a familiar black biker's helmet.

Now Ventus was screaming. His mind lay miles away from the hospital floor he stooped upon. In a fit of hysteria the blond climbed to his feet and slid towards the hospital window. Though his eyesight was thwarted by writhing black dots, an inner eye continued staring with horror upon what was happening within the dream world, from the garden with the half tree house to the room behind the wide-open window. When the sound of shattering wood sounded in Ventus' ear he attempted wiping the bile and IV fluid from his hands and lunged for his hospital room oriel, feeling in vain for an opening latch. Instead the boy's fingers clawed upon glass and cement.

"No, no, no!" howled Ventus in desperation, banging against the window until his fists were bruised and bloodied. His broken arm throbbed numb as he used it to elbow the glass. Behind him his hospital door opened, and there was a cry of disbelief. Aware that someone was there yet unable to see them, Ventus turned around and lunged forward with his arms stretched ahead of him. Before he could make contact with the nurse, he tripped against the bed and fell to the ground again, sobbing freely as he cowered against the foul stained linoleum in horror.

"I don't want to kill him," moaned the boy through wide eyes and thick gushing tears. In the dream world a black clothed fist raised and slammed against the cool flesh of a face. Foaming saliva dropped from Ventus's lips against his hands, making him wince and glance about in fright. "But I do, I do! He's making me angry."

"Who is making you angry?" asked the bewildered nurse, glancing around but seeing nothing.

"The boy I'm pulling out the window," gasped Ventus in relief, clinging to the approaching nurse for support. Though his eyes could not see her, his nose smelt her perfume. Paopu flower- the same smell as the palm trees surrounding his vision. "He's a fighter. I'm pulling him out and we're struggling. I'm beating the shit out of him. He's bleeding all over me. This is blood," added Ventus in realization, wiping the vomit and IV liquid up his arms like paint. In responding disgust the nurse snapped that it was not blood. But Ventus could not hear her. Rocking back and forth, he continued with a growl, "'I just want to pass a message. Tell your dad to stop working so hard. He might find himself in a situation that's above his expertise'. I think it's over now. No, he's saying something." As Ventus listened, his face contorted in uncharacteristic rage.

"He knows my name. For some crazy reason he knows my name. I have to act. I'll say that I'm not his friend, but I'm a friend of his father. I'll ask him to pass on the message," gasped Ventus, his lips going purple from lack of clear breath. In vain he coughed back chunks of phlegm and bile. "He's telling me he'll tell his dad to work twice as hard. He's not quitting. That makes me so angry I could rip his guts out and eat them. I'll just slit his throat. I don't care if he dies. But I forgot, I knocked over a chair," continued Ventus in a whisper, rocking back and forth in the nurse's arms. "That's how his father knew I was there. He saw the chair."

In Ventus' vision, his doppelganger sat hunched over a golden boy with spikey brown hair, holding a knife to his victim's throat. Then, he was avoiding gunfire that rung through Ventus's ears and made him screech in terror. His dark other leapt through woods and charged towards a black motorcycle with white wheels. He was pressing a power on button, putting a key in the ignition. Then he was gone, and the world was black.

As Ventus gasped for breath, two other nurses rushed into the room with a vial of medicine and a needle. As the first nurse rocked Ventus back and forth, the second secured his arm and the third injected the medicine into the soft skin of his inner elbow. Within seconds Ventus' vision returned, and he lay exhausted in the middle of the mess he had created. Every surface was covered with shining, foul smelling liquid, while the IV sack and metal attachment pole lay strewn across the center of the floor along with the bed sheets. When Ventus glanced upwards, he saw that the nurse holding him was covered in the contents of his stomach as well. But he was too exhausted to be humiliated.

"Where's Riku?" the boy whispered in a voice tinier than the murmur of the wind. For a moment the nurses looked at one another in shock. The last moved out of the room, while the other two secured Ventus between their arms. "We can give him a call," murmured the second nurse. The first was reeling in confusion, but nodded in encouragement and rubbed Ventus's shoulders. In response to the gesture of good will Ventus closed his eyes and snuggled close, ignoring the smell that accompanied his drenched clothing.

"I had a horrible dream," the boy mouthed in a hoarse whisper. "I was beating someone to death."

"Did your previous visitor give you cause for stress?" asked the first nurse. In anxiety Ventus shook his head. "He was very nice," he mouthed in a throaty sigh, his esophagus constricted by tears. Unable to control himself, the boy hiccupped and sobbed.

"Where's my mother?" moaned the boy, his eyes squinted in pain. "Where's Aqua and Terra?"

"We can give them a call," piped in the second nurse, while the first added, "We can give all four of them a call."

"Call them. Call Aqua. Call Terra. I want him," wailed Ventus. "And if he says he can't come because of me tell him I'm sorry. And tell Aqua I'm sorry, too. And my mama."

"And Riku?" reiterated the first nurse.

"Fuck Riku," hiccupped Ventus in uncertainty. But then he shrugged. "No, call him too."

"I'm back," murmured the third nurse, armed with a new vial of medicine and a fresh needle. As the seated nurses stroked Ventus' hair and rubbed his arms, the first got a hold of the same inner elbow and injected again. Finally, as the medicine began flowing freely through Ventus' veins, his pain disappeared, and his vision grew fuzzy and white.

"Good, Aqua," mumbled Ventus, reaching out to the third nurse and marveling at the new echo of his voice. "I knew you'd come. I knew you would forgive me." This last comment slurred into unconsciousness. As Ventus lost touch with all realities and lolled to sleep, his body slumped into the lap of the first nurse, while the second caught his lolling head in her hand. Then, with a great sigh, all three hoisted him in their arms and piled him onto a stretcher waiting outside. In silence they wheeled him towards the bathing room and wiped vomit and sweat from around his mouth.

"He was foaming," the second nurse murmured in a broken voice. The nurse who administered the needle nodded. "He was mugged walking home from the general store on Market Street. Never saw his attacker. Sicko took a baseball bat to his torso and ripped out a few of his fingernails."

"That's horrific," gasped the second nurse. The first was still silent, and with an absent mind unbuttoned the top layer of her uniform. "Don't take it off yet," snapped the third nurse, making the first scowl. "It smells strong as hell."

"I know, but let me get you a fresh pair so you have something to put on."

"It must have been awful," sighed the second nurse. The first conceded that it was pretty awful.

"The worst part is he's only had three visitors," added the first. "His mother, his father, and this redheaded fellow."

"What a nice little friend," cooed the second, thinking about the redheaded boy. All three women nodded as they emptied Ventus into a standing shower. As one stripped him of his clothing, the others collected soap and turned on the faucet. By this time the first nurse had changed into a fresh pair of scrubs. "At least he has one."

Ventus twitched in his sleep. But other than that he was very well behaved. Once he was washed and dressed, he was transported into a free room without a window. A new IV was plugged more securely into his arm, and this time, instead of a moving pole, it hung from the ceiling. Outside the storm raged on, but it seemed to be moving away from the hospital in the direction of Destiny Islands, towards whipping palm trees, salt spray, and dangerous black waves.

* * *

Night had settled on Destiny Islands, and the roar of thunder battered every house. To escape the loneliness of her room Kairi sat downstairs with Lenny the cook, watching as he washed the dishes.

"Shoot," mumbled the old man through a toothpick and a scowl, "it's getting worse." Though Kairi wanted to help, for some reason she did not want Lenny to leave, did not want to go back upstairs. With a murmur she tried telling him to stay the night at their house. "We could blow up an air mattress in the living room," she added with a grin. But Lenny shook his head.

"My girlfriend worries," added the old man, finishing the last set of dishes to Kairi's dismay. "I've got to visit the kids tomorrow, too. I want to be clean shaven and smell like my own shampoo."

"Oh," replied Kairi guiltily. With reluctance she climbed to her feet and helped Lenny dry the dinnerware. For once he did not complain, instead pretending not to notice until half the work was done and all the dishes were washed. "Shoot, missus," whistled the old man through the gap where his front tooth should have been. "You are a saint." Lightning quick Lenny dried the rest, and before Kairi could protest the work was done. For several minutes the two sat in the kitchen, Lenny rolling his toothpick between his gums like it was a cigarette. Kairi watched in melancholy. Upstairs her parents were in bed. Usually the whole family would stay up and talk till the wee hours of the morning. But tonight they were in bed early. As Kairi thought about what lied upstairs her mind drifted to Demyx and she sighed, wishing that she were in the same position with him. Lying over and against him, against his beating heart that rung like a bell through the warmth of his chest. Their hands slipped within each other's, pressing in the rhythm of the beat of their blood, a beat that held the same through both of them.

Rubbing her chest, Kairi muttered "shit" and cupped her face in her hands. She had a strong headache coming on. The last time this had happened was before she, Sora, and Riku had attempted going on their raft, and then before she sent a letter with no address to Sora, when he was in hiding from Organization Thirteen. Then Axel had kidnapped her.

"_Didn't Axel kidnap you?" _whispered Selphie with trepidation, a ghost or an illusion of the self she had been when she had spoken to Kairi on the island. "Roxas," Kairi muttered in return, knowing it was true. Everything with Axel had been for Roxas. Every slip up, every sacrifice, every kind or foul word. All for his love.

"Lenny?" Kairi asked as the man broke his toothpick from his lips. His ice blue eyes stared up at Kairi through masses of wrinkles coarse and brown from the sea sun. "Why did you and your wife break ties?" To this the man snorted and rubbed his forehead, muttering that Kairi had a habit of jumping right in. In return the girl shrugged, not unkindly. Her eyes were determined. So Lenny sighed and nodded.

"We were kids, mind," explained the old man. "We had the first child so we married, and then there were more. I was a homebody, I liked the islands but she wanted to move inland to Disney City. I drank the money. I was lazy and cooking was a hobby. The only skill I knew was giant bala fishing in the estuaries. Then the silver sharks left and the babies died. So we cut ties and I became a cook."

"And you were good at cooking," Kairi said through a grin. Lenny nodded with vigor. "Best cook in Destiny Islands. But I wouldn't leave you, missus. Because I like it here." Again he flashed his imperfect set of teeth and made Kairi laugh. Then he hoisted himself to his feet and stuck his broken toothpick inside his pocket.

"You should leave us," broke Kairi as the man walked through the threshold of the dining room door. As the man turned in surprise Kairi smiled. "You should start a restaurant, on the beach in Twilight Town or something. It's slow but it's faster than here."

For a moment Lenny's eyes glazed in excited thought. But as they dulled he laughed heartily and said goodbye for the final time. Then the front door clicked, he was gone, and Kairi sat alone. As she cupped her hands over her mouth she watched the clock chime eleven. Then she hopped from her chair and walked into the living room, picking up her cellphone as she sat on the couch. A number sprung to her head, but when she dialed it all she received was the answering machine. Pursing her lips, she decided to call another instead, and snuggled further into the couch as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hello, cherub," she chirped when she heard the familiar voice across the line. There was a long huff through the phone that made Kairi giggle. "I'm fine. I'm at my parents' house. They're fine. Look, I wanted to ask you something," the girl continued in a hushed tone, sitting up straight. "Is Xion living with Marluxia? Well shit. What about Naminé? _Shit_," as the girl listened she pressed her palm to her temple in shock. "Why isn't anyone doing anything about it? Couldn't? What the fuck, if someone had told me I could have adopted her! You're worried because you haven't heard from her in a few days? I'd hide too if I were with that freak. Demyx told me all about the crazy stuff he'd do when they were working together. He visited me today. Not Demyx, Marluxia." Though Kairi tried not to sigh she could not stop herself from rolling her eyes. "It's over with Demyx. Selphie told you? Ah, good deal. I guess everyone knows now. He wouldn't testify for Axel because he's a coward! When Marluxia visited he said he was looking for Xion, that she's missing." As Kairi spoke her eyes moved to the window and to her parents' small front yard, which illuminated with white blue light every time lightning sprung from the ground netted the sky over the sea. The outlines of the bushes and palms looked like strange shuddering people with messy green hair and thick brown skin.

"I'd be worried," whispered the girl as she watched the vegetation, "she's too self sufficient for that to happen. And Marluxia acted strange." Suddenly a massive clap of thunder descended over the house, making Kairi yelp as the lights flickered on and off. Order returned after a few minutes. The fan bulbs shone brightly as ever. And the living room phone began ringing loudly. Pressing her hand to her heart and calming herself with the patter of the ebbing rain, Kairi hoisted herself from her seat and walked towards the receiver, calling for her father as she pressed the cordless to her ear.

"Hello?" Kairi murmured. Outside the window the wail of an ambulance siren strengthened and ebbed.

"_May I speak with your father, Kairi?" _snapped an urgent voice across the line. Kairi furrowed her brows. "I just called Sora's phone and he didn't pick up. Is he alright?"

"_I'd like to speak with your father, Kairi," _the softening voice murmured. _"In the meantime I am asking you not to leave your house, do you understand? Take a night to yourself. This is an urgent business call."_

"Alright," muttered Kairi hollowly. When she called her father again the man trudged down in a huff, took the phone, returned to his bedroom, and shut the door. Again Kairi was left alone. But this time her stomach turned in terrible knots. Out the window lightning shattered the sky, and in the spikey haired palms and shrubs of her front yard she thought she saw the face of Marluxia. Yelping in fright, Kairi back up and fell over the living room coffee table. When she was able to stand again, she ran for the window and looked out in vain, realizing that the face had just been a badly lit palm trunk. With a snort Kairi plumped back on the couch with her cellphone.

"Sorry, there was a phone call for my dad," she sighed after a moment's rest. But the other line was dead. With a scowl Kairi checked her connection, but it was fine. He'd just hung up. "What an asshole," Kairi muttered. She threw her phone to the chair on the other end of the room and watched it with narrow eyes and folded arms. When a shiver passed through her spine, though, she stood, shut the downstairs lights off, and climbed to her room. The upper floor was pitch black. Kairi didn't feel like retrieving her cellphone for a light, so instead of turning back she gulped and climbed the stairs slowly, trying not to make a single sound.

Inside her parents' bedroom hushed voices spoke, and Kairi thought she heard her mother sigh. On a normal night Kairi would have listened, sat with her ear against the frame of the door so she could make out words. But outside there was complete silence. No thunder, no lightning, no plops of rain. The stillness in the air crackled with words from a tongue unversed in the conversation of life. It could not speak through the creak of wood, the hum of electronics, or the beat of a heart. But it was clingy. And somehow it caused Kairi great fear. As she stopped before her white bedroom door, blue in the darkness surrounding, Kairi took a deep breath. Then, curling her fingers around the golden knob, she turned it and pushed inside.

The room lay untouched. Her lyric notebook sat open on her desk with a blue felt-tip pen at its side. Whiteout sat in a bottle on the desk's upper shelf. Kairi liked to be precise. Demyx's notebooks were a horde of scribbles in different fonts and sizes. As her eyes fell upon her bed Kairi thought of him and sighed, plopping onto her white flowery covers with a huff. Her mother had left her stuffed animals in a neat row against her pillow, a fluffy baby soft one with pink ribbons tied to each corner. As Kairi held it in her arms there was a loud snap outside her window, and she jumped in fright. Rushing forward with weapon raised, she leaned outside the portal and looked into the darkness scant of breath. A tree branch had snapped from one of the few deciduous floras in the area. It would come down soon. If the wind picked up again it might fall against the house. She'd have to tell her parents.

Throwing the pillow against her bed, Kairi hummed and turned around to shut her bedroom window. But as her fingers reached for its flexible glass the sound of leather slithering against wood caught her ear. Before Kairi could turn, the black figure sliding from beneath her lily-white bed jumped to its feet and pulled out a shining vial. Then, covering Kairi's mouth with a cloth, the creature took the vial and jammed its hollow needle into the carotid artery on the left side of the girl's neck, watching with hungry golden eyes as her veins turned black. Beneath him Kairi gasped for breath and blinked back tears. Her headache had turned into a migraine, its agony blinding and unbearable. "N-n," she began in desperation, clawing at the figure behind her despite the tendrils of pain shooting from her neck to the tips of her arms. Her vision was going and her legs were weakening to the point that she could not support herself. "Mom," gasped the girl finally, sliding to the ground while the man surrounding her held her close to his chest. When she breathed in she smelled blood.

"Sora, Ri-" gulped Kairi. In a last attempt at fighting, Kairi reached up to claw her assailant's golden eyes out. But all she could do was raise a palm to his cheek and stroke it with the tips of her fingers. Then her arm dropped to her side, her breath drew out in a long gust, and she fell unconscious.

* * *

To amuse himself as he waited for Kairi to call, Demyx had rolled out a bag of pistachios. After eating the insides and sucking the salt off of their shells, he would set the left overs in place and ping them towards the open trashcan on the other end of the room. At this point fifty percent were lying at the bottom of the black plastic bag. The other fifty percent was strewn across his living room. With a sigh Demyx looked at the clock on his kitchen table. Two o'clock. Dawn would come in four hours. Until then, Demyx had promised himself to stay awake. But when another half hour rolled by his eyes began drooping and his face fell against his kitchen counter. Even though Kairi had walked out on him a few days back, she'd still send him the occasional text to see how he was doing. Whenever he texted her she'd respond within a couple of minutes. His last text in the conversation, a picture of him eating a slice of pizza with "guess who?" beneath had garnered nothing. After a while he asked if she was okay. When he got nothing in return he tried calling her, but she would not pick up.

"Damn you, Axel," muttered the blond as his nose conked against the counter. After rubbing grit and moisture from his eyes, the blond sighed and patted his cheeks to keep awake. Then, as another fifteen minutes ticked by, his thoughts returned to the day he joined Organization Thirteen. He had been in high school when Xemnas first spotted him. He dropped out for him.

The first night had been terrifying. He was invited to a dinner with the other ten members at the house of Xemnas's father. There had been a ballroom, a DJ, a four coarse meal, and a number of attractive female guests for Demyx to drool over. Everyone was trying to stave off the beginnings of bad hangovers when the rest of the party guests left and a meeting was called in the downstairs antechamber. After passing through a library and entering the office, everyone tripped over one other to sit down. Ten contracts sat against a wide metal table, five on one side and five on the other, equidistant in space. As the bleary eyed members looked upon them, Xemnas introduced his father. All Demyx remembered of Xehanort was the blackness between his golden eyes, broken by a long pointed nose.

"Admit a whisper of my name," murmured the thin lips of the old man, "and you shall be dead before you take your next breath."

Demyx had kept his promise for over three years. He wasn't about to break it. Not when the old man was alive, anyway. He had always warned them that his 'shadow watched everything'. What normal guy tells his employees that his shadow watches everything? Thinking about it gave Demyx the creeps. He was torn between the idea that the shadow was a real _person_, or that the old man possessed weird magic powers that gave him the ability to control his own shadow. Demyx couldn't tell which one was worse.

As the kitchen phone began ringing Demyx sprinted towards it and pressed it to his ear. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest. "Hello?" snapped the man eagerly. "Kairi?"

"This is the Investigation Bureau," a deep voice murmured after a second's pause. As Demyx listened his stomach dropped. "What do you want?" snapped the blond, trying to be brave. But his voice cracked with fear.

"Do you know of Kairi's whereabouts?" asked the caller. In reply Demyx muttered that she had left him for Destiny Islands about two days ago. "We've been texting through the week. She stopped talking to me at eleven. What happened to her?"

"She has been missing for three hours. Due to the nature of the disappearance we suspect foul play."

"Holy shit," breathed Demyx, covering his forehead with his palm. The other shook as it held the phone.

"We will have a representative inspect your lodgings tonight," continued the caller. "And we would also ask that you donate your cellphone so that we can examine your conversations with the missing person."

"Wait, what?" croaked Demyx, glancing towards his living room. Strewn across the coffee table were several unfinished bags of pot and four empty beer cans he had shared with his manager Jack earlier on in the day. The old fucker had forgotten to pack his stuff up with him. When Demyx thought about the text history on his phone he began sweating as well. What if there was a way to pull up deleted messages? What if he had not followed proper protocol when eliminating voicemails associated with the Superior, Xemnas?

"No," Demyx found himself shouting into the phone. "No you will not inspect my lodgings, and you won't look at my phone, either. This is my stuff."

"Sir, I thought you were cooperating," replied the caller, suspicion coloring his voice. "Any assistance is required purely to ensure the missing person's safety."

"Sure," Demyx growled in return, not caring how he sounded. "Station your fucking cop cars outside my place, inspect my fucking drain pipes if it makes you happy. But don't call me, don't steal my belongings, and don't come into my fucking house!" In anger Demyx slammed the phone onto the receiver and broke into sobs, shaking and beating his fists against the sides of his face. He knew they'd call by tomorrow, and if Jack came over in the middle of the night the cop car stationed outside Demyx's place would stop him and take him to jail. The pot would have to be hidden somewhere, but if they brought dogs in they would smell it. And he'd have to delete all the messages on his phone, including the conversations with Kairi. He didn't have time to pick and choose which texts to keep.

As Demyx charged for his cellphone he wiped sweat from his face and glanced towards the pot. He'd clean his apartment top to bottom in short order, common protocol. It would stink of bleach when the police came in unless he started the fans going now. Switching them all on, the blond grabbed every cleaning product under the kitchen counter and scoured his apartment for drug paraphernalia, gathering it all in a little black bag and setting it by the back door. Before breaking out the soap, though, Demyx pressed the "select all" button on his conversation thread with Kairi. Then with bitten lip he let his forefinger hover over the "delete" icon. With a deep breath he tried clicking it. But then he remembered the conversation they'd had the other day about their favorite bread, and the one a week ago of how much they loved each other. They'd used a bunch of goofy rhymes. Then there was the very first time they started talking. Kairi was good at saying beautiful things. She was so smart. But Demyx didn't have time to write it all down.

With a scowl he moved onto Xigbar, whose "as if" texts regularly cracked him up when he was down. Instead of deleting he moved through the rest of the names, finding useful jokes and incites in most of his conversation history. In defeat the blond cried out and threw his phone against the table. He would clean his apartment first. Then he would delete the texts.

As the smell of chlorine watered his eyes, Demyx cursed under his breath and thought guiltily of Kairi. Had she left something in the apartment that was useful, a clue that would bring light to her whereabouts? Demyx reasoned with himself that the probability of the prospect was quite slim. But still, he cursed and cried. He should have said he'd testify for Axel. He should have defended him and be done with it.

* * *

Kairi gasped in fear as she woke up. Three fluorescent lights shone above her, and she winced as she looked into them, narrowing her eyes as she stared around. Once she adjusted to the surrounding darkness she found that she was inside what appeared to be an old factory basement. Sewing machines lined every surface excepting the room's center. That was where Kairi lied. When she sat up her headache returned and her vision swam, making her grip the ground and take deep breathes to avoid losing consciousness. When she was able to look around, she gasped when her eyes fell on the huge contraption behind her.

The machine was a massive white sphere with soft blue-lit lines spiraling across its surface, revealing reflective wire beneath translucent plastic covering. A metal-wheeled base held the contraption off the ground. Windows lined either side of its spine. As Kairi peered closer at their smooth glass, she saw that the sphere contained two compartments separated in the center by a plastic pane. Two circular holes were carved into the sphere's backside. Doors. A white cushioned tray was pulled out of each. The whole thing reminded Kairi of an architecturally advanced, double MRI scanner, except that the doors had no inner handles. They seemed to open and close only from the outside.

When a light licked on inside the left side of the machine Kairi noticed that there was a man inside. Half of his body lay within the sphere, hidden by the translucent plastic pane severing the left and right compartments. His lower torso and legs dangled off of the pulled out tray, and he appeared to be fixing something in the sphere's inner ceiling. His blurred hands moved nimbly inside the glass.

Kairi stared as he worked before her attention drew again to the dark world surrounding. Beside the machine was a pile of blood stained clothing in a plastic bag. Indented in the opposite wall was an open set of elevator doors. But the shaft within was empty. There was no way of reaching the top, save for a wire rope dangling through the shaft center. With intensity Kairi watched its movement. Only when footsteps squeaked towards her did she realize that the man had stopped fiddling with the machine. As she tried pretending to pass out again a shadow fell over her. The man inside the contraption was now standing above, watching as she slumped against the ground. After a moment of examination he grabbed her by the shoulder and sat her up upright. From his back pocket he extracted a flashlight. One by one he opened Kairi's eyes and watched as her pupils constricted, blowing against them to make her flinch. When the man opened her mouth Kairi bit his hands and attempted slapping him. But the stranger caught her arms midflight and pinned them behind her back. Then, after checking her tongue, he nodded. Yellow irises shone forth from his tan skin, luminescent even when concealed by his jet-black fringe. But their light blinked out as he turned his back.

"Wha- what do you want from me?" Kairi croaked as he returned to the machine, wishing she were with Demyx in Port Royale. The man would not answer, and Kairi's eyes widened as he fished for the power chord writhing between the sphere's legs. With an extension chord the stranger plugged the machine into the power outlet on the room's opposite end. Then, with one click it was on.

The sphere made a small humming noise as it awoke, its bowels becoming completely transparent as clear white light illuminated its inner compartments. The plastic pane separating each section shone clear as glass, with thousands of rubber tubes and metal wires snaking inside. As Kairi looked upon it in terror the dark man hoisted her to her feet and hauled her toward the machine while she screamed for him to let her go. Despite her struggling she was hoisted onto the left tray and strapped against its white cushions. Then, amidst howls of protest she was shoved inside, the door closed and locked behind her feet. As Kairi adjusted to her tiny imprisonment she attempted not to hyperventilate, though her body vibrated with terror. The compartment she lay trapped within was too narrow for her to sit up, so she lay upon her side and banged against the window with her knees. Outside of the machine glass the world was black, as if there was nothing left of it. Fearing for her life, Kairi began sobbing.

There was a loud bang as the dark man slid himself into the compartment beside, closing his door with his foot. The machine's control panel had been reconstructed to function from the inside, and the dark man pulled its white frame towards him from above his head. From what Kairi could see, it appeared to be a small keypad. When the machine began vibrating around her she screamed again. The dark man pushed the control panel away and set his arms at his sides. He fidgeted as his eyes closed, his mouth grinning while his brows furrowed in trepidation.

From tiny nozzles on either side of the machine a white mist descended. As Kairi sucked it into her lungs she began feeling warm and light, like a burning candle. As she glanced down at her hands, still strapped to the sides of the tray cushions, they shone. The dark stranger watched her as she gasped.

Now small tubes were slithering out from the plastic pane separating Kairi and the stranger. Both plugged into the left side of her neck, the side farthest from her window. She whimpered as she realized there had been a drug in the white mist. It was numbing her, disconnecting her so that the tubes looked like soft fuzzy tails kissing her neck. Gently they began suckling, separating the components of her blood. A translucent substance the color of gold seeped from her neck and into the tube, which snaked through the plastic pane and inside the neck of the man on her other side. When the process was done the tube that sucked the substance from Kairi's neck stopped and disconnected from her. The mist fell away and there was silence.

Beside her the stranger laid with eyes closed, smiling peacefully. As his breathing stilled his veins began to glow a soft, warm pink. Then, they pulsated and became redder and redder, until they blared through his flesh like crimson spines. As the skin above the veins turned orange in irritation the man began shivering. His body jerked in jagged movements and he screeched in pain, clawing at his neck. When his hands brushed against puncture wounds left by the extraction tubes his eyes flew open and he tore above his head for the control panel, pulling it towards him with shaking fingers. In panic he pressed a series of buttons. Soon the mist returned and the tubes slithered back to Kairi's neck. But this time, it was not sucking anything from her blood. The liquid flowing from the stranger's neck into Kairi's own was a warm grey, and as it entered her bloodstream she began feeling faint, knowing that there were remnants of an ancient darkness being deposited inside her. Once the returning white mist dissipated the door at Kairi's feet clicked open, and the tray slid out automatically. Again she was thrust into a world of darkness, blinking wildly to regain her vision. As she stared to her right she noticed the stranger curling over and falling from his tray to the ground. Once upon it he crumpled and rolled in agony.

Though Kairi's head throbbed, she slipped from her own tray to the stranger's side, pressing against his shoulder with the palm of her hand. At her touch the stranger kicked her in the stomach. Then he heaved himself to his feet and staggered towards a black box on the wall opposite the elevator doors. When its door opened white mist emptied from within, relieving the sting of burning skin. Lining the top tray of the freezer were numerous vials filled with a dark tarry liquid the consistency of honey. When the stranger looked upon them he removed a syringe from his pocket and attached it to the nearest vial, injecting the tar directly into the puncture mark left by the machine. As the liquid seeped into the veins of his neck the stranger slumped to the ground and gasped for breath, clasping his throat as his blood vessels pulsed black through his orange skin. When the substance dissipated, he regained his normal coloring. But his skin shone with sweat and blisters. For five minutes there was silence while the man's panting evened. When he could breath normally he groaned and stood, trudging towards the nearest sewing desk. Once he was beside it he ran his fingers over its surface. Then with a howl and a hard kick, he sent it and the desks surrounding flying to the other side of the room, where they crashed and splintered against the wall. To Kairi the man's sudden and abnormal strength was terrifying.

Suddenly the man cocked his head, listening to Kairi's breath. In a slow arc he turned towards her and stared against her face. His yellow eyes had turned puss brown, and they shone like little beads as they narrowed. When he stalked towards her and grabbed her by the shirt, Kairi screeched and punched him in the jaw, and as his head knocked back Kairi gasped and covered her mouth. There fell silence. Then the man slapped her so hard she slammed against the floor. As she padded at the tender skin of her cheek Kairi heard the stranger curse behind her.

"Princess of heart, made of pure light, light to balance the darkness," muttered the cowering man in anxiety. As Kairi listened she furrowed her brows. "Fuck it hurt. Hurt like Ventus winning. Burned my skin the same, only less. Thank fuck for neotenebrin."

"Princesses of heart turn darkness into light," whispered Kairi finally, shutting her eyes as she remembered her grandmother's stories.

"What?" murmured the stranger.

"You're a monster, aren't you?" blurted Kairi as she tried not to hyperventilate. A soft yellow glow was returning to her oppressor's eyes. "Not a human monster, but a heartless. You were made in a lab, weren't you? You can't be human. That's why you're blistering," continued the girl with rising strength. "You're a heartless and you tried to inject yourself with the purest blood in the world. I don't coexist with darkness, I vanquish it!" Kairi cried. As she looked upon him, the stranger's expression became cool and detached. Then he moved to her side and looked into her eyes.

"I'm going to erase your memory now," he whispered in a calm voice.

Kairi did not remember how she fell asleep again. All she could recall was walking down a long grey hallway with no doors, dropping things as she moved. Then a ringing sound pervaded her thoughts and she sighed as she went unconscious. In a memory she was soon to forget, the girl heard whispering.

"_Why was I so careless with Sora?" _the voice echoed through the dark hall. _"The son of the Investigation Bureau and I take for granted he can't fight. Fuck." _Groans cluttered the air. _"So princess blood fries tenebrin. Tenebrin fries normal people blood. Fuck all. Where's the princess of light that's okay keeping company with_ me_?" _More groans rose, occasioned by a beaten breast.

"_Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me. Why did I live at all? Ah, Ventus you asshole. When I find you I'll smash your face into the base of your skull. I was set to win, brother, and you fucked me. Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me." _

* * *

For the first time in his life Vanitas sat smoking on a building. The storms from the early night had long passed, replaced by cool dry air that wafted against the dark boy's cheeks and soothed his blisters. He wondered what would happen if he tried popping them. His arms were covered in tiny yellow bubbles surrounded by flaking scales of skin. Second degree burns. The worst ache came from his neck, and as he padded for the crater that had housed the machine tube Vanitas' hand made contact with a collection of blisters the size of a child's palm. "Fucking shit," sighed the young man. When he pressed against it the blister popped, and hot liquid seeped from within, burning the skin beneath. With gritted teeth Vanitas slipped another vial of neotenebrin from his pocket and dumped the contents against the broken flesh. Immediately the wound cooled, and Vanitas sat back in peace. Unfortunately he couldn't afford to bathe in the last of his medication. So he sat in discomfort against the side of the broken factory name sign and stubbed his cigarette at his side. He had found the pack inside Kadaj's jacket and taken it as a going away present for himself.

As his communication device rang Ventus cursed and swiped up his wrist. After muttering a hello to his master he told him he'd just stopped his motorcycle.

"_How did it go?" _murmured Xehanort. Vanitas gritted his teeth as a car shot past below him. "I was almost shot. I'm hiding now," he muttered.

"_Where are you?" _

"Outside a gas station in Nibelheim," he muttered. _"Stay there overnight," _responded Xehanort. _"Use Hojo's mansion if you must. Your flight to Gestahlia leaves the airport at six o'clock a.m. Do not be late." _With that the communication ended and Vanitas let his wrist fall against his lap. Down the road sat the hotel where he had left Kairi. As he watched its inhabitants entering and exiting he lit another cigarette.

So the luciden inside the girl could not coexist with any kind of tenebrin. In Vanitas' case, the nasty honey gave chemical burns. If a regular person were bitten by a heartless they would turn into the creature themselves. Their hair would disappear, their skin would turn black, and their eyes would yellow as the spines of their back contorted and shrunk. If Kairi were bitten by a heartless she would fall into a coma until her immune system destroyed its venom. For beings of light, neotenebrin was always dangerous. So what would the person whose light did not destroy neotenebrin from heartless venom do to get it out of their system?

"Piss it out," tried Vanitas flatly, making himself snort. Too bad he didn't have enough vials to experiment on the whole population. "Shit," sighed the boy in exhausted distress.

The only people he could think of who'd completed extensive study on the heartless problem were Ansem and the latter, Xehanort Junior. Perhaps Vanitas should not have obeyed Xehanort two years back when the old man had instructed him to place a detonator inside Ansem's Science Gala experiment. The amusing sight of the contraption blowing up in the man's face as he bowed before it on stage returned to Vanitas' memory, making him scowl. As he checked his watch he decided it was about time to drive to Nibelheim. So after slipped from the building roof to the ground beneath, he entered the factory one more time. Within the innermost basement of the building lied his machine, unhooked and silent now that it was turned off. When Vanitas reached the old fridge and injected more neotenebrin into his veins his thudding heart calmed to a gentle chirp. His supply was running low.

The sudden burst of energy offered by his medication fired Vanitas towards the machine, and with all his strength he heaved the sphere back to the elevator shaft. Scrambling up its side to check the factory's outer surroundings, Vanitas deemed transportation safe. Then, after slipping to the bottom of the shaft again, he hoisted the sphere by rope back to the top floor, leaning his aching back against the opposite wall and pushing the machine out of the shaft with strong legs. Once upstairs, the black tarp was secured over the sphere once more. The darkness aided Vanitas in returning his supplies to the forest surrounding headquarters, and an hour before dawn Vanitas drove for Nibelheim.

* * *

**Hi! As you can see, I'm adding new chapters! The sudden desire to finish this old boy came about a few days ago, after reading a popular fan fiction about Axel and Roxas, where Organization 13 was a facet of the Yakuza and Roxas the brother of an opposing gang leader. Interesting, right? First it inspired me with a new idea, as kind of a response to the story from the _other _side's POV. Then I thought to myself, what am I doing? I'm working on a crime story right now! So here we are. **

**Thank you so much for reading. This story is by far my least popular, but I love it and I'm glad that a few of you lovely readers do too. :) I'm finishing it out for you troopers. Stay tuned for more! I get excited reading it myself and I hope you do too. **


	20. Connections

Naminé filed into the dining hall with her classmates in silence as the girls around her talked and laughed with one another. Per usual they stood before their seats and waited for the headmistress to seat herself at the head of the room. The ancient woman shifted onto the stage at a snail's pace and tapped her glass with her fork. Every girl in the room turned towards her and she said a few words before they bowed and seated themselves. The food was brought out by servants and placed before the girls, who ate amongst whispers. Naminé finished her food in silence. Once breakfast was done the headmistress stood. The students bowed once more before filing to their dormitories for an hour of after meal rest. Naminé drew in her art pad until the bell rang signaling their daily summer trek.

Her dorm mates pulled on their outdoor clothing and filed outside, all in matching skirts, hats, and coats. They trod down the path by the river that lined the left school wall, each toting their lunch in their backpacks. The younger girls picked up fallen branches and used them as walking sticks until told otherwise by teachers, and the older girls tried to get a look at the boy's school across the river. They would begin their trek when the girls finished theirs. Once the female party came to the familiar mountains they trekked across, the teachers told them to split up into groups. Naminé was paired with nine other girls, and she suggested that they take the northernmost route. The girls agreed and Naminé led them up the side of the mountain. Four hours later the sun was low in the sky and the other girls were complaining. Naminé's cheeks were pink and she stared ahead with eyes of fire.

"We've gotten ourselves lost!" one of the girls whined with worry, but Naminé ignored her. "I feel undefeatable this high!" she breathed, grinning. There was a snort behind her. "That's the altitude, darling," one of the girls muttered. The others tittered nervously. Naminé continued to walk. "We must get back to the group!" they whined after her. "Don't you want to see the top?" Naminé asked, still walking. Then, far ahead, she spotted a city in ruins. Her walking turned into jogging, and the other girls complained but followed her like sheep. When Naminé reached the top of the mountain, she peered below her into the entertainment district that housed the old Opera House of Jidoor. The opera house where her mother had performed _Maria and Draco_.

"Why don't we eat lunch at the top of the mountain?" Naminé asked with a bright grin. The other girls rolled their eyes but did not protest. The southern side of the mountain was filled with glades and beautiful gullies replete with tall trees and grasses. But this side of the mountain was barren and cold, with short tundra grass dotting its top like receding hair. The girls huddled together as they ate, holding their tea to their breast and shivering from the chill. Naminé sat away from the rest, examining the north dip of the mountain. "Do you want to explore the city afterwards?" Naminé asked, but the girls shouted no in agreement. "I want to see the forests and gullies," one of the girls lamented, and the others agreed. Naminé pointed to the bottom of the northern side of the mountain. There was an evergreen forest at its base, small but ominous and tightly packed.

"That forest is scary and cold," another girl wailed. Naminé's heart beat with sudden fear. She peered down the southern side of the mountain in deliberation. Then she turned to her companions. "I want to see the northern forest."

"I'm not going," one of the girls below her bellowed. Then, she finished her food and stood, dusting herself off and gathering her picnic. She returned her supplies to her pack and turned the other way, trekking back down the southern mountainside. Four of the remaining girls followed her immediately, and four stayed behind to convince Naminé to follow them. But Naminé refused and they gave up and left without her, telling her they would meet her in two hours at the mountain peak.

Naminé grinned as they disappeared and gathered her things together. Then she charged down the northern dip and slid towards the ruined city before her. The wind and mist howled and whipped her skirts about, losing her in a hazy fog. Her hat fell away from her head and tumbled around the side of the mountain, fleeing the rain clouds forming over the city before her.

Naminé broke into a run as she neared the evergreens and howled in delight as rain began to fall on her. As she ran further her lungs welcomed the increasing oxygen that was entering her airways and she laughed. But a sudden fear was creeping at her, and she glanced back to the top of the mountain in fright, fleeing as though something was pursuing her. Soon her form disappeared under the canopy of the evergreen woods and she charged through their depths, shaking the rain away from her hair. The trees became more dotted as she neared the city, and Naminé noticed in surprise that its architecture was concealed amongst dottings of knotted trees and ivy itself. All that lay before her was the opera house, a grocers, a line of apartments for the workers of the area, and some recreational facilities, spread out across a vast yet crumbling distance. Naminé had heard there was a cargo dock on the other side of the island. She could use it to stow away on a boat and escape.

All Naminé knew was that she had two hours to run as far and as fast as she could. Something was searching for her beyond the top of the mountain.

* * *

Lightning stood outside what used to be the 'Orphanage for Children With Intellectual Disabilities' with her hands on her hips. There was a large penis spray painted on the back of the rundown building, and various curses and gibberish were sprinkled along the rest of its surface. Despite all that it was rather quaint. The paint was fading and peeling off, and ivy was near taking over one side of it, pulling the right wall down at an angle.

With the extensive dilapidation, Lightning found it difficult to figure out where the picture of Bertrand and the other children had been taken. To help herself she rummaged through her pocket and took the newspaper clipping in her palm. As she compared print to house, the investigator discovered that the one from the article had been snapped in front of one of the residence's side doors. The other picture had been taken at the entrance. With a nod Lightning trudged up to it and cracked open the door, peering in and wrinkling her nose at the odd smell. Dust and dirt from the crust lining the doorframe sprinkled Lightning's head and made her growl. So, kicking aside the trash lining the floor, she entered.

The moment her feet passed the threshold Lightning got the chills. Sunlight streamed through a hole in the roof, but other than that the place was dark, grimy, and creepy. Lightning pushed the hair away from her face and skimmed through the various pictures that she had printed off the internet of the inside of the place. There was a room to the side of the entrance where 'misbehaved' children were punished. Her stomach turned when she noticed that there was a faded bloodstain on a small piece of fabric that had been left on its floor. She sifted through the pictures further and located one, of the 'time out room'. In this picture a little girl stood in the corner of the room with her nose to the wall and her hands behind her back. Her hair was cut short and plain, her dress looked ragged and dirty, and her arms and legs were bruised.

Lightning wondered why she had bothered to come here. She had thought it would give her a feel of what she was getting herself into. She thought that this place would make her angry, but she was just afraid. The moans and cries of hundreds of forgotten children hung around her in the stale air. She lasted five minutes inside its walls before rushing back out the entrance and into fresh air, sucking in a deep breath and exhaling with her eyes closed.

She doubted there would be evidence of Bertrand inside the building. He was adopted on the opening day of the Orphanage, so he wouldn't have stayed inside for very long. But Lightning steeled herself and barreled back in, collecting some remnants of DNA from bloodstains and oil smears. She decided to call Martha again. The phone rang for a short time before the older woman picked up. "Hello?" she asked and Lightning sighed.

"Hello, Martha. I just wanted to ask you about when Xehanort adopted Bertrand again."

"Well, shoot…"

"Did he touch anything on his last day here?"

"Xehanort, or Bertrand?"

"Bertrand."

The woman sighed again, but thought about it. "He cut his finger on the wall outside of the house. He got a splinter, but Xehanort got it out for him. It was a sweet moment. We hoped for that for all of the children."

"M-hm…" Lightning said to herself, looking through the pictures again. Some of the conditions were truly appalling. For all of Martha's preaching about 'helping the children', she wondered how involved the woman was in their care.

"Where did he cut his finger again?" asked Lightning. Across the line there was another pause. "He cut it on the back of the building. He wandered off to look at the slugs."

Lightning poked her head around the back of the orphanage, scanning the wall to see if there was anything of use against its cottage cheese textured paint. Using some of the equipment she had brought with her, she was able to see the remnants of a tiny bloodstain left on the wall. After scraping it off, she placed the evidence into a small vile in order to test it. She also found bits of fingerprints.

As Lightning worked she noticed a small group of kids forming in her peripheral vision. Some boys and a few girls on skateboards had come to check out what was going on. When Lightning turned to greet them they did not avert their eyes. They continued staring at her. Though the investigator felt uneasy she decided to address them directly.

"Did you guys draw this penis?" she tried, pointing to the large drawing on the back of the building. This elicited a few snickers, and one of the boys pointed to another.

"Lucien did that one," The boy called, grinning. Lucien stood in the background, chuffed at his accomplishment. "What are you going to do about it?" another asked, smirking, and Lightning pursed her lips.

"Do you know what this building used to be?" she asked. The kids glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. "Yeah, it was a house for retards, right?" one asked another, who nodded. "Used to be a tourist attraction. Nobody cares now," added the youth in mock sadness, "Except us."

"And the penis," Lucien muttered, starting up another round of snickers.

"Very funny," Lightning snapped, stepping closer to the posse. "I was just wondering about the history of this place. There seem to be a lot of run down buildings around here. It looks like the slums in Midgar."

"That's my house, bitch!" one of the youths shouted, and the rest roared with laughter.

"Call me bitch again and I'll make you sorry," Lightning growled. The kids started walking towards her, but Lightning did not move. She glanced from one to the next, identifying whether she was entering a hostile situation. Lightning predicted that they were about fourteen with little formal combat training. She could take them easy, but she did not want to fight them. To abate them she reached in her pocket and tightened her grip on her gun. When the nearest one noticed, she stopped the group with a wave of her hand, and they looked upon Lightning with a blank stare. Then the girl stepped forward with big eyes and held her hands up in surrender.

"Why are you walking around with a gun?" she murmured. Lightning examined each child before pulling out her badge. When the leader saw it she smiled in awe and touched it, moving her fingers over the gilded surface with care.

"Why are you out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, and Lightning shrugged. "I'm researching." The leader grinned again. "What do you want to know?" she asked, and Lightning cocked her head to the side. "Would you like to give me a history of your town?"

The girl nodded, bowed grandly, and then backed away to explain.

"This place, my friend, was formerly known as the Land of Departure," She shouted, while the others gave a cheer. "The Twin Peaks are over there. But they're private property now. People harvest the cherries. We boasted the grandest college in the country. Then ten years ago the headmaster laundered money from us. After that, we shut down. Our source of income went away. We fell destitute. The end," she added, taking another bow. All cheered again, clapping their hand with frantic movements, and the leader blew kisses to them before turning back to Lightning with a nonchalant smile.

"Why is the sky so dark?" Lightning asked. As she said it, the girl's smile faded. When the others fell silent, Lucien stepped forward.

Clearing his throat and pursing his lips, the lad thought where to start. "Maybe, like, eight years ago, a little while after the Eraqus crap, something came from over the mountains. It was like this creepy black mist. It messed with people," Lucien mumbled, shuffling his feet. "People started doing crazy stuff. There were a lot of robberies and murders. People got beat up for no reason. My dad… he went out one night and never came back. That happened with a bunch of people. They just kind of disappeared." To this Lightning fell silent in shock.

"Everyone in the rest of the region thought we were nuts. They stopped trading with us. They shut us out, and took us off the map. Now it's like we never existed," Lucien hissed. "Then even worse shit goes on in Radiant Garden, and they get a fucking medal for it!" another piped up, and the rest nodded in agreement.

Lightning had a deep foreboding feeling welling up inside her. "What happened in, um… Radiant Garden?" she asked, and the kids looked at each other, and then back to her.

"One day, the sky turned black. And then, these monsters were let out on the city from inside the castle. They attacked people and turned them into monsters, too. And then they left, to cause trouble somewhere else," The leader related, trying to sound eerie. Lightning tried not to smile, amused by the absurdity of the whole thing.

"Well." She sighed, and bowed. "Thank you for relaying me that information. It's very valuable."

The kids shrugged, and then began to ride off on their skateboards. But the leader stayed on for a minute, addressing Lightning with a serious look. "Are you a master?" she murmured, and Lightning raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"Did you take the Mark of Mastery Exam?" she whispered, but Lightning shook her head. "No. They started giving that exam though in my region after the war. I took something like it, though."

The girl nodded and stared at Lightning with shining eyes. Then, she skated off with quick strides, catching up to her friends.

Lightning looked at them as they rode, wondering how much of what they said had been the truth. She wondered what the mysterious 'black mist' that came down from the mountain really was. And she wondered who could tell her what really happened in Radiant Garden.

* * *

After parking her car Aqua opened her trunk, looking to see that her files were secured. Then she retrieved her handbag and turned around. She could walk this street with her eyes closed. Taking a moment to suck in the air from the Twin Peaks, Aqua wrinkled her nose at the pollution that clung to her breath. After spitting she trudged along the concrete path past the dirt car park. Ahead of her was the Land of Departure's ancient, run down police station. It still had its city's name on its sign, like a gravestone for the ghost country. The "Land of Departure" was extinct.

When Aqua entered the building her feet clicked against beige and forest green checkered linoleum. The walls were less crème and more mayonnaise with a dash of peach. The air conditioning was not working, so fans grey with dust were set up on every possible surface to provide relief from the heat. The office smelled like rotting books and mothballs, and the little light that gave reprieve to the ancient space peeped through half drawn, paper thin beige blinds. The building contained a small reception area with three sick green, faux leather cushioned chairs, a filing cabinet, and a reception desk with a glass covering and a grey crème CRT monitor. An antechamber at the back sat one sole police desk. There was also a storage room, barely visible inside the trapdoor leading down into a basement ten feet from a little kitchen counter and sink. The sliver of light within the portal looked foreboding.

"Hello?" called the receptionist and Aqua snapped to attention and smiled. "I'm looking for Croc."

With a nod the receptionist asked that she wait a minute. Then, standing up and waddling towards the kitchen area, she tapped a door concealed from Aqua by the kitchen area's fridge. "CROC!" the old woman screeched, and the man in question poked his head out from the break room. "Someone want me?" he asked, and the woman pointed towards Aqua.

"He's ready for you," she gushed, and Aqua nodded, giving a quick 'thank you' before stopping in front of Croc. The man's long, pointed nose twitched as he looked upon her, and there was a soft ticking sound coming from within his suit coat. With a chuckle he indicated the sandwich tucked under his arm and wolfed it down as fast as he could, licking remnants from his face with precision. "How can I help you?" asked the man finally, washing his hands and reaching for a cloth overhead. As he did, Aqua spied the watch in his waistcoat. It looked ancient. "I need help," she stated after deliberation. Croc glared at her in suspicion.

"I want some information on Organization Thirteen," Aqua elaborated, "When Axel was employed."

To this Croc smiled with an enormous, toothy grin. "Well, that information is classified, little lady," He chuckled, "'Twas put into these humble hands by one of the members themselves."

"Did Axel speak with you about turning in Organization Thirteen?"

For a moment Croc pressed his forefinger against his philtrum in thought. "Can't say I remember." Then he smiled, and Aqua pursed her lips in deep irritation. "What was your understanding of the situation, as an outsider looking in?"

"Are you a reporter?" he asked, but Aqua shook her head. "No. I am a lawyer."

Croc chuckled. "Pretty ladies like you shouldn't be getting jobs as stuffy old _lawyers." _

"Actually, our work gets _very _interesting. Kind of like some of your ways of coming about things," She added, and Croc's smile faded. "I know a thing or two about a few agreements _you _have had with thugs in the past," Aqua murmured.

"What do you mean?" Croc growled, and Aqua shrugged. "Aw, you know. The 'don't ask, don't tell' thing. They're in the holding cell of the police station near us, if you'd like to ask them personally."

Croc blinked his eyes, and then narrowed them, grinning snidely. "Well, don't you know how to work it!" he chuckled, and beckoned for her to come downstairs into the storage room. Aqua climbed over the trapdoor and down the ladder with careful steps, landing at the bottom and looking around as Croc shifted through containers in the corner. This was the true source of the office's overpowering smell. The edges of each cardboard box were frayed and rotting with age and naphthalene. Eventually Croc pulled out a crumpled box of tapes from the farthermost wall and shoved them into Aqua's arms. She set them at her side just as another was plopped against her chest. This one she set atop the other.

"These are all security tapes from Organization Thirteen, given to me by Saix. He said he'd kill me if I showed them off, you know? They're for rental of course. I think you would do well to look at tapes 4 through 10, 15, and _then _tapes 20, 23, 25- that's a big one- and last but certainly not least, 30. They cover a long ass time, so you're gonna be in for the long haul."

"Thank you," Aqua whispered before glancing back at him. "What was your involvement with Axel?" she tried again.

"That is not my place to tell. Turn me in if you want, but I will not squeal."

Aqua clenched her hands into fists. "He'll be sent to jail!"

Croc looked at her with narrowed eyes, and then turned back around to the tapes. "Lots of people get sent to jail little lady. Lots. He ain't the first, and he definitely ain't the last."

"Can you witness?" Aqua blurted out, but the man snorted. "Little lady, you just don't quit!" he chuckled. "Well, I like you. So I'm gonna break my number one rule. Yeah, I worked with Axel. It's in the tapes. He and his buddy had a plan to take over the Organization. Axel backed off after another friend of his clocked out. Then he started fighting for the opposite side. The only reason he helped Sora was to help his clock out friend. Ol' Xehanort didn't know that, and neither did his son. Axel either kept it a big secret, or the rest of 'em were just too dumb to notice."

"Are you saying Xehanort was involved as well?" slipped Aqua quickly, knowing it was the truth. Though Croc scratched his cheek his expression did not change. "I didn't say that at all. I said he didn't know."

Aqua grinned in spite of herself, feeling like things were looking much brighter for Axel. "Can you come to the station to talk?"

"Are you gonna ask me anything else about ol' Xehanort?" muttered the detective, his eyes narrowed to long slits. Aqua shook her head before responded that she wouldn't. _"Yet," _she added to herself. Beside her Croc sighed and shrugged. "Well, I've been around for a long ass time. What have I got to lose, anyway?"

He trudged up the ladder and chuckled. "But know that my word ain't the best." Then, he helped her up the stairs with the tapes. "Remember, these tapes and your brain are all you've got. Work 'em," He added, patting her affectionately on the shoulder.

"Thank you again," replied Aqua, and hauled the tapes out of the office as Croc and the receptionist said goodbye. She balanced the boxes on her hips as she trudged out of the station, setting them on the ground in front of her car and distributing them into her trunk before hopping in the front seat. As she turned on the ignition she noticed that Croc and his receptionist were standing outside waving to her. With a sheepish nod Aqua waved back and set her gears from park to drive, pressing the acceleration and turning her wheel so that she swiveled to the right and out of the dirt car park. As she drove forward her car bucked and shivered under the stress of the street's numerous potholes. The sun had stained its black surface a whitish gray over time, and its yellow parting lines were nearly faded. Soon run down buildings gave way to untouched grassy fields, and as Aqua opened her window the scent of fresh dew and sunflowers billowed against her cheek. As she whizzed down the winding dirt roads the sudden urge to visit the college overtook her, and she drove towards the towering behemoth to see what had become of her old school.

Parking her car at the right side of the entrance, Aqua stepped out and trudged towards the massive yellow doors. Graffiti lined the teal outer walls: vulgar language, love confessions, and obscene pictures large and small. The whole place was in a state of defeat, miles away from the majesty it once possessed. "Shame," Aqua whispered as she reached for the ruddy gold colored door handles. She was able to crack the portal open to the point where she could just squeeze underneath the old chains barring it shut. After closing the door behind she looked around. The white walls of the hotel still looked bleak and empty. There was an occasional spray of graffiti, quickly fading. On the second floor the vandalism stopped. In curiosity Aqua glanced from room to room within. Each classroom or office had been converted to a bedroom lush with color. When Aqua stumbled upon the door to a secret chamber she brushed the indentation that acted as its handle and pressed her face against white painted surface, inhaling the vacant space within. Once tears threatened to overcome her she lost her gumption and broke contact with the wall, turning and ascending stairs to get away. She thought that she had forgotten this path, but now it seared through her brain like hot metal.

As the thirteenth floor emptied out in front of Aqua's feet she pressed through its final door and made her way towards the windows lining its walls. Only one was still open. The rest had been crudely sealed shut with rubber cement. With a sigh Aqua leaned out of the surviving one and breathed in the scent of the stormy air that always hung about the castle walls. The rising sun twinkled against each fiber of glass and turned the dirt ground far below gold. As Aqua looked upon it she noticed a car driving past the castle. It was sleek black, and when it passed Aqua's coupe it stopped, backed up, and parked beside. A silver headed tan man stepped from within to examine Aqua's car. When he squinted at the castle above in confusion, Aqua sucked in a deep breath and charged down to meet him. With the descent of each floor she prayed that he would not get a hold of the tapes, and as she slipped over the lock barring the entrance door from being opened completely, she flailed her hands in front of her and shouted for him to stay back.

As Aqua charged towards him Xemnas jumped, flinging himself from her car and putting his arms up in shock. When Aqua stopped before him she bent down and panted. But once she regained her composure she returned her gaze to Xemnas. "What the hell were you doing?" snapped the woman. Xemnas shrugged. "I saw the car and wondered who could be out here." Then a grin spread across his face. "I haven't seen you since we walked these halls as students."

"You were out of college for a year when I graduated," Aqua rebuffed, looking away. "I barely knew you."

As memories flooded through his mind Xemnas' smile faded. He scowled. "Don't you remember elementary school?" he attempted to joke, but Aqua snorted in derision.

"Yeah, I think so," mocked the woman. "You were that sixth grade bully that always messed with the younger kids. I had a couple of run-ins with you. Imagine, a big sixth grader messing with a six-year-old girl," she sneered, but Xemnas chuckled. "I tend to remember it the other way around. I was shorter than you at the time. I remember _you _picking on _me._"

"That's even worse- getting picked on by a first grader," mumbled Aqua in return. But Xemnas held his arms out. "Look at me now."

"Still a coward."

In shock Xemnas whipped his head around to meet his opponent's gaze. When he was sure Aqua was serious, his citrine eyes narrowed.

"I do not regret my decisions," the man intoned. Aqua replied that she had not asked if he did or didn't.

"You passed the Mark of Mastery Exam, didn't you?" Xemnas tried after an ensuing silence. Aqua nodded. "And I bet Terra and Ventus would have passed if Xehanort hadn't intervened."

"I am not responsible for my father's actions," quipped Xemnas in lazy reply, making Aqua step towards him with a smoldering gaze.

"Where is my friend?" the woman intoned. Xemnas shook his head in agitation.

"I said where is my friend!" Aqua repeated, but Xemnas looked back at her in anger. "I don't know!" he roared. "I don't know a thing about your friend!"

"Don't lie!" Aqua retorted. "You know something!"

There was more silence as Aqua looked at Xemnas in expectation, searching his features for weakness. "You are pathetic!" she hissed. "You're a copy of your father!"

"I am not my father!" he snarled.

"Then stop toddling after him like a child. Tell me where Terra is," She murmured. Xemnas shifted back and forth in discomfort.

"He's gone, Aqua," He said finally, and Aqua struggled to stay on her feet. "What?" she mumbled in bewilderment. "You mean he's dead?" Around her a strong wind blew over the grass fields surrounding the castle. The sheen passing over them from the angle of the sun made them appear strong green waves, tall and filled with life. If they had been water, Aqua would have gladly drowned within their depths. But ahead of her Xemnas shrugged easily.

"Most likely," the man continued. "The day he left he said that he'd joined my father. Then he vanished."

Though Aqua's eyes teared up she stared at Xemnas with hatred. "And you just let him go?" she mumbled. Xemnas chuckled. "I hardly knew the kid. It didn't matter to me one way or another."

As Xemnas shuffled closer Aqua glanced at the dirt beneath her feet. Xemnas's black boot tapped her own, making her wince.

"But I knew you," He whispered, nudging her arm with his elbow. In revulsion Aqua pulled away and leaned against her car. Something was changing in his voice. "You don't know a _thing _about me," She hissed.

"You know I was the reason anyone ever took an interest in you," continued the man in a flat tone, suddenly nonchalant. Though shocked Aqua sensed the calculation in his voice. Though hesitant she listened.

"Remember when you were in the fourth grade?" chirped the man, as if the thought had just entered his head. "How you told me you _dreamed _of becoming a super hero?" he chuckled. Aqua remained quiet. "We used to play together, remember?" Xemnas continued.

"Long time ago," muttered Aqua in return, squirming. When Xemnas leaned on the hood of her car as well she did not notice. She could not abhor him and she could not forgive him, so she stood there with him, angry and puzzled. "We used to sit right out there," he whispered, leaning so close to her that his face nearly touched hers as he pointed towards what used to be the Twin Peaks. "We'd go up the mountain and eat the cherries that fell from the trees."

"You never finished telling me why everyone finally took an interest in me," snapped Aqua in return, causing Xemnas to grimace. "You were in the fourth grade," he conceded. "We ate cherries as you told me your dream."

"Yeah, and you made fun of me for it," retorted Aqua. "You forgot how young I was."

"It was easy to forget," cooed Xemnas. His orange irises shone. "You were no child."

"I was nine," snarled Aqua in return.

"And I was fourteen," replied Xemnas. "Too old. I foolishly attempted to trade our friendship for making your dream come true."

This caught Aqua off guard. But to shield her curiosity she scoffed. "You mean the dream of me being a superhero?" As she expected, Xemnas replied with a simple nod. Then his familiar, cocky grin returned. He expected her to ask him for more information. Aqua could sense it in the way her hackles raised. He wanted Aqua to be the one to plead for his knowledge. But she could wait. Instead of responding the woman stared at Xemnas with a cool glance. Her expression did not change when he chuckled.

"I started talking with my father," Xemnas capitulated. "It turned out Eraqus had already spoken to the board about constructed an Academy on the college campus that would cater to kids too poor for extensive training," explained the man. "You know there was already a private institution nearby that trained youths for the Mark of Mastery. I thought that if my father and Eraqus erected an Academy that let kids in for free, your dream could be fulfilled."

"By taking the Mark of Mastery exam?" responded Aqua and Xemnas nodded, placing his right hand over her left. Though she shifted her hand away her forehead crinkled in conflict. "I convinced my father to talk to the board about the school idea, help Eraqus get his point across. Because of myself, and my father, you and Terra were the first class of the Masters Academy."

"Eraqus was like a dad to me," murmured Aqua. "Terra and Ventus were my brothers."

"And what brought you together tore you apart," cooed Xemnas.

"I was twelve and scared," Aqua remembered. "Then when _we _were in the twelfth grade this nine year old kid was put in first year. We were all in awe because he was so young. Eraqus told us to make friends with him because he had a bad family life. That time was fast and good. And then it ended."

"As life goes on good times tend to end," Xemnas murmured, "making way for new times."

"A whole city ruined by one man," Aqua whispered.

"That man made you," Xemnas returned. For the first time Aqua faced him head on. "If you cared so much for my dreams why did you sit by and watch as they were torn apart?"

"To be honest, Aqua?" murmured Xemnas, glancing at Aqua with pity. "I didn't really give a shit. As I got older I changed. I got my degree and worked for my father."

"But I would like to say that I am sorry," He added. As Aqua closed her eyes in incredulity she felt a hand touch her waist and slip around her. Then, Xemnas' lips fell against her cheek and neck. He brushed aside her hair and pulled her closer as his lips ran over her skin.

"I'm defending Axel in his trial, you know," Aqua murmured. To this Xemnas' lips stopped and his eyes searched Aqua's own deep blues. They were cold with truth. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow when your lawyer and I discuss the specifics of the case with the judge." As she said this Xemnas's hands fell limp at his sides. Then they pulsed as his face contorted with rage.

"You'll always lose against my father, Aqua," the silver headed man warned as Aqua stepped inside her vehicle and turned on its ignition. Before he could crane his head inside the driver window, Aqua reversed and swiveled back to the road, flying away from the hotel without looking back. When Xemnas disappeared and green fields returned, she parked and checked every single tape, sighing when she felt sure every singe one was still there. When she returned to her driver's seat and locked all of her doors, she pressed her forehead to the wheel and sobbed until no tears would come. Then, glancing at the high sun, she continued her journey to Disney City.

* * *

As she made her way towards the highway leading to Midgar, Lightning hummed and tapped her palm against the base of the open driver's window. In these parts civilization was lost, taken over by fields of green. The occasional bush or conifer poked feebly from the grass or huddled for protection from the oppressive sun. But the sea of green surrounding them whipped and crashed against the woody flora's trunks, and the smell of dew and sunflowers wafting from its surface was sweet as perfume. When Lightning sucked it in she could do nothing but smile. Ahead of her the sun-bleached road was completely empty. In two hours she had only passed one car, a coupe housing a woman with a spikey black bob.

As Lightning took a left hand turn the phone on her car began ringing incessantly. Her eyebrow rose when she saw that the caller was Reno, and as she pressed the Bluetooth button on her car speaker system her vision was drawn to the pile of files at her side. By some miracle she had managed to get a fingerprint of Bertrand Decker from Martha. When all the children had first entered the orphanage, they'd had their measurements and fingerprints taken. Martha had kept Bertrand's on file. Her office also had information on his DNA, saved in a moth-eaten scrapbook mashed beneath a bag of pretzels in the break room.

"Hello?" Lightning snapped when she could not hear Reno's voice. He was shuffling something across the line, and when Lightning chanced turning the volume in her car up to listen to his muttering, he howled her name. The vibrations of the shriek reverberated through Lightning's car and made her yelp in fright, twisting the volume button to the left as fast as she could.

"Lightning, where are you?" Reno slurred across the line, and Lightning rubbed her eyes. He sounded drunk out of his mind. "Where are you, Reno?" sighed the woman in return, and across the line there was a gurgled laugh. "I'm taking a break," Reno barked. When he added, "Why aren't you with me?" Lightning decided that it was time to hang up. "Goodbye, Reno," She muttered, but before she could press the end call button, Reno stopped her with a holler.

"I meant to ask, what are you doing?" he tried, as seriously as he could. Lightning inhaled deeply. "I am working, Reno, like you should be doing."

"Doesn't matter. I'm gonna be the customs man in a few weeks anyway."

"It's not final, is it?" Lightning asked. Reno snorted. "Off to Nibelhiem with me in a month."

Lightning's anger gritted her teeth. "Well, maybe if you were here with me instead of drinking to your damn heart's content, we might get some work done," She snapped, and Reno moaned across the line, alarming her. "Are you okay?" she asked. Magnified gagging and vomiting sounds traveled through every speaker on Lightning's car, and all she could do to stop feeling sick herself was tighten her grip on the wheel and toe her accelerator a little over the speed limit. Only when Reno was finished did Lightning realize she could have twisted the volume down again.

"I just threw up," Reno blubbered, and Lightning shut her eyes in frustration. "I know, Reno. I could hear you… unfortunately…"

"I'm coming down," roared the man all of a sudden, hanging up. Lightning tried not to worry herself over that. Two o'clock and Reno was already smashed drunk. Her mind clouded as Lightning pondered Reno's situation. She wanted to help him, but she didn't.

He was pathetic. That much was clear. She could not understand why she felt so disappointed for him. When a shocking thought entered her mind Lightning flung it from her mind. But it kept returning. In a strange way, did she care for him? She shuddered to think that was the case. A pitiful man obsessed with fame. A future customs officer at a run down airport in the middle of nowhere.

"Dammit, Reno!" she growled. "Why'd you have to get yourself into this stupid mess?" As she continued muttering to herself Lightning's phone rang again. This time it was Sora's father.

"Sir?" snapped Lightning, blushing though she knew the Director did not have a clue what she had been thinking about.

"Hello," the Director answered in a grave tone. Immediately Lightning's blush disappeared. When she asked what was wrong, there was a sigh across the phone.

"The daughter of the mayor of Destiny Islands, kidnapped at eleven thirty last night, has been found in a hotel in The City That Never Was. This same night, my son was beaten near to death by a masked figure at my home."

"Shit," Lightning muttered. Out of her peripheral vision she noticed the wind slipping through her open windows tug at one of the file folders on the passenger seat. When the folder threatened to open, Lightning saved it with her hand and pushed the packet of files to the car floor.

"I know it will take you a few hours to get here, but I'd like you to investigate for me," murmured the Director further, his tone almost unsure. "I know that technically this is a detour from your assigned case, but you are the best I have right now."

"No problem at all, sir," sighed Lightning in return. "I'm actually in the region already," she added. When the Director did not immediately respond, she continued, "I've been doing some research on an interesting recurrence in the Shinra case."

"What would that recurrence be?"

"A man in black."

"What?"

For a moment Lightning paused. Then with a deep breath she barreled in. "When Reno and I infiltrated Shinra we discovered a massive file burning operation. The only person involved that wasn't wearing a white lab coat was a dark young man in a red-rimmed black suit and sunglasses. He disappeared before we could pursue him. We saw him again the day Hojo was assassinated. He was in the crowd with a revolver. When he pointed it at me Reno shielded me, leaving Hojo open to a sniper overhead. I've been researching, and I believe this man's name is Bertrand Decker."

"Alright..." responded the Director slowly. "How did you figure this out?"

"When Bertrand Decker was five he was shipped to an orphanage for disabled children in the Land of Departure," returned Lightning. "Xehanort adopted him on his first day. I have a newspaper clipping and witness testimony to support this."

"Right, but… how could some disabled child transform into a trained assassin?

"That's what I believed at first," said Lightning in earnest. "But then I thought about it. Xehanort knew president Shinra, the creator of the SOLDIER project. If Shinra gave his army super human strength and intellect, who's to say Xehanort didn't do the same for Bertrand?"

"Does this research connect us to Xehanort in any other way? Is it vital to our current predicament?" the Director added, making Lightning purse her lips in exasperation.

"I did it on my off time," muttered the woman finally. "While I was in the Land of Departure, I also spoke with a couple of kids who told me about an incident in a place called Radiant Garden I'd like to know more about."

"Oh, shit," muttered the Director in exhausted reply. There was a pause across the line, as if the man did not want to give out the information. Then he sighed, and finally, responded. "When she was a kid Kairi lived in Radiant Garden."

"Who is Kairi?" murmured Lightning.

"You'll see her soon," responded the Director. "Just don't bog her down with extraneous questions. She's in deep shock." With that he hung up, leaving Lightning to guess what her next course of action would be. She felt as if she were standing on the tip of a black pit, looking within but seeing nothing. From the beginning till now, she had not been told the full story on Xehanort. It was as if an unspoken oath of secrecy had spun the Director and his associates into its web, barring them and their true history from the outside world. Lightning was here to exterminate that oath of secrecy. To illuminate its dark depths and drag the roaches clinging to it for protection into the sun.

* * *

As Aerith and Zack watched the TV in uncomfortable quiet they held each other tightly, afraid the other would disappear if they loosened their hold. Occasionally the pink ribbon of Aerith's bow drifted under the flutter of the fan, and her eyes would draw to the kitchen window. In the garden outside Yuffie sat sunbathing with her head in Loz's lap. He was filling a page in a coloring book with reds and blues and greens, his concentration at its highest as he attempted to stay within the lines. "What page are you on now, Loz?" she asked, and Loz grumbled that he was 'coloring a farm'. Yuffie had bought him the coloring books to help him stop his worrying habit. As the day marking the beginning of Kadaj's disappearance drew further and further away, the stack of finished coloring books in the recycling bin rose exponentially. As Loz attempted to darken the edges of his two-dimensional farmhouse, his crayon snapped, blistering the blank grass surrounding with waxen red prickles. In horror Loz tried to tear the imperfections away with his fingernails. But it only caused the crimson to smear. In defeat the man ripped the book in half and threw its pieces across the yard, startling Yuffie so that she sat up to look at him.

"Loz, what's wrong?" Yuffie cooed, stroking the man's silver curls with alarm.

"He's in trouble," whimpered Loz. "He won't answer when I call."

"Kadaj? He's just being rude. Did you upset him over something? Did you eat his candy bar?"

Loz looked puzzled. He scratched his head as he thought about it. "I- I don't think so…"

"I was joking, big guy," chuckled Yuffie in return, patting Loz's cheek. "Maybe he's just forgetful."

At this Loz looked ahead with a dark stare. "He never forgets anything." He mumbled. For a moment Yuffie stared at him. Then, she reached up and stroked his chin. Usually when she did that he just gazed ahead. But this time the man scooped her in his arms and embraced her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. When she felt moisture fall against the chest of her shirt Yuffie ruffled his hair. "Come on, bruiser, what are you getting all upset over?"

"I'm not a bruiser," Loz mumbled sulkily, but Yuffie laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "You're right. You're a big softy. You act all tough, but on the inside you'we just a big teddy beaw," She cooed in a baby voice, pinching Loz's cheeks. "I'm not a teddy, either," He mumbled, and Yuffie hugged him. "Yes you are! You're my teddy!" she said, and she spied a hint of a smile creeping across Loz's face.

"No I'm not," He murmured, and Yuffie sat in his lap and stroked his hair. "Yes you are! And don't fight with me on this one, I won't take it!" she added in mock seriousness, making Loz glance at her with a sheepish grin. "Okay." He whispered, and Yuffie patted his cheek again. "That's the spirit. How was dinner?"

"It was pizza," Loz said flatly. "Who am I complimenting by saying it was good?"

Yuffie scowled and shook her head. "You are _sour _today."

Loz shrugged and padded behind him for a new coloring book, gripping the fresh one by its spine and pulling it onto his lap beside Yuffie with a scowl. This one was filled with princesses- the last one on sale in the dollar store near Cid's house. With a shrug Loz got to work on the first page. Soon these ladies would join the rest of their wax colored companions in the living room recycling bin, and Yuffie would either buy more coloring books or find Loz a new hobby. She hoped Kadaj was okay. He had always been the most distant of the three brothers. Yuffie wondered what had happened to make him that way.

* * *

As Reno listened to the dial tone on his phone he looked around the white cupboard above for some aspirin, ibuprofen, or anything to dull the raging hangover that was claiming his soul. At the rear of the lower shelf there was a dusty bottle of Tylenol. Good enough. Reno took three in his hand and swallowed them at the sink just in time for the phone to pick up.

"_Hello?"_ a young voice asked across the line. Reno nearly choked trying to sip water from the tap without his medication tumbling off his tongue and down the drain. When he had swallowed he made sure his brother was still there by shouting his name.

"_I'm still on the phone!"_ snapped Lea in return, and Reno chuckled, sitting on the toilet seat and leaning against the wall with a sigh.

"Lea, my fine feathered friend," the man said with overdone affection. "How's life?"

When Lea did not respond Reno lifted his back from the wall and hunkered forward with anxiety. Then, scratching his nose he huffed. "Lea," the older man muttered. There was expectant silence in reply, so Reno continued.

"I am so, so sorry for what I said to you the night before last," murmured the older man in a voice softer than any he had ever used. "I almost lost a coworker that day, and instead of taking it like a man I took it out on the world. I should have never said the things I said."

"_Do you even remember what you said?"_

At this, Reno was jolted from his scripted apology. As he stuttered to come up with a clear answer for his little brother, he realized that he didn't really remember what he had said at all. Yesterday the humiliation of the memory had been like a hot poker to the face in his drunken stupor. But when his brain shrunk from dehydration and his intoxication passed through his body like water, he must have pissed out those few important brain cells. To test himself now he tried remembering his first dog's name, but it would not come. _"Dammit," _he thought to himself. Lea was still sitting in expectant silence on the other end of the line.

"Lea, I'm not going to lie to you," sighed the man. "I don't remember much. But that doesn't mean I can't care."

"_I'm glad you care," _cooed Lea in return, like a mother to a child. His tone alarmed Reno, so the man smiled and pulled out the wad of papers he had tucked into his back pocket. Then he chuckled across the line.

"Lea, I've called to ask you formally. I couldn't wait to tell you in person. Would you, master Lea of the shire, like to move to Nibelheim with me, Sir Reno of Rohan?"

There was dead silence across the line. Reno couldn't help but grin. Lea was so ecstatic he couldn't find the words to speak. In excitement the older man spread his paperwork across his lap like a fan. Contained in these pages were pictures of several Nibelheim apartments, all on different streets, all in the same cruddy, rained out condition. On some of their brickwork there were chars from the Nibelheim Incident. Where half an apartment had burned down, a new half different than the old was built on the survivor's back, resulting in monsters of residences half alive and half dead. Mold and black ivy clung to their sides, pulling them into the earth where they belonged. But some, despite all this, managed to be quaint. Their walls were repainted a soft white, their windows and doors outlined with fresh dark oak, and their roofs re-thatched. One complex boasted a pool, and another a soccer field. One by one Reno described them all.

"You're gonna love it, Lea," Reno gushed as he shuffled the choices together like cards. "We can pick out a place side by side. Brothers in arms, braving the harsh world together, just like you always wanted. And I won't back down this time. Let's forget Axel, and mom and dad, and Disney City. Let's pretend our pasts never happened and get on with an amazing future. What do you say?" His breathing had become feverish in the revelry of his thoughts, and his panting echoed across the line. Ahead, Lea coughed.

"_Reno?" _the boy asked. Reno nodded and said yes, he was still there.

"_I'm staying in Disney City."_

The phone dropped from Reno's hand into the trashcan beside, and with a yelp he dug it out from the center of a rolled up pad and a few snot rags. A hint of a booger clung to the left side of the case, but Reno did not care.

"You, wait, what?" breathed the red head, dumbfounded.

"_I can't move with you. It's my senior year of high school next year and I've been recruited for the city fruitball team."_

"Fuck fruitball!" Reno hollered. Someone was knocking on the bathroom door. After they called his name, Reno realized it was Lightning. With a scowl he ignored her. "They've got soccer in Nibelheim."

"_It's not the same."_

"It is basically the exact same, Lea," snapped Reno in return, his tone sharp. Outside the knocking was getting louder. Irritation was causing Reno's fists to dig into his thighs. By now the paperwork in his lap had fallen to the ground and into the bath, the print wetting and bleeding into the slick porcelain.

"_I'll miss Isa."_

"I thought I was your best friend!" Reno whined. Then his expression grew hard. "I know I'm a customs officer now, but that doesn't mean I'm not the same guy."

"_That's not why I'm staying."_

"What about when Axel goes to jail, huh?" hissed Reno. "What will you do when the house gets taken by the city? Are you going to go homeless?" The knocking was becoming incessant.

"RENO!" Lightning called from outside. "Open the damn door!"

"I will!" Reno snarled in response before returning to the phone. "You don't know living alone."

"_I will soon,"_ returned Lea in defiance. _"Soon I'll be making enough money to pay all of our rents."_

"With your city fruitball team? Give me a break, are you their water boy?" Reno chided.

"_I think someone is calling you, Reno. I'll talk again tomorrow." _

"Wait, no- I'M COMING!" Reno roared to Lightning, but she kept knocking. When Lea hung up Reno screeched his name across the line, pleading with him in vain to keep talking. But as the bathroom door lock began jiggling, the line went dead. In anger Reno clenched his jaw and covered his mouth to block the scream that threatened to leave his lips. But it did not work for long.

"FUCK YOU FUCKING BITCH!" the red head roared, throwing his phone into the bath. As it hit the porcelain, its glass shattered and sparked. The rest of the Nibelheim paperwork was torn to pieces and thrown in with it. Then, in exhaustion Reno slumped back over the toilet seat and groaned. As the jiggling of the doorknob continued, Reno gritted his teeth, reached over, and unlocked it, allowing Lightning to poke her head in. For a moment she looked at his phone without expression. Then she turned to Reno with a dull stare.

"Well, that was immature."

"Thank you," responded Reno, shutting the bathroom door behind her so that they were alone.

"You look terrible, Reno," Lightning muttered. Reno gave her a weak smile before muttering, "hangover." In return Lightning shrugged. "Expected. How's Max?"

"Set for my job," sighed Reno, making Lightning scowl. "But experiencing complications."

"Maybe if you had have been more serious this wouldn't have happened," the woman growled in return. Reno grimaced. "Don't I know it. How was the road?"

"Later," replied Lightning. "We've got to help Sora's dad." With a nod Reno stood and trudged out after her. Soon both of them stood in the backyard, their faces turned towards the tree where Sora had been assaulted.

It was a palm, five feet from and directly facing the boy's five by five foot bedroom window. This was still open, and a portion of Sora's jacket clung to its side. Inside the bedroom, there was a smashed chair, an overturned mirror seated on the desk, and mussed up bedcovers sprawled across the floor. Outside and around the tree there laid a trail of blood, all belonging to Sora. The design etched by the black, caking liquid into the palm trunk's wrinkles looked almost like a face. As Lightning examined it the Director of the Investigation Bureau trudged to her side.

"At eleven o'clock last night Sora was dragged from his bedroom window and beaten by a shadowed figure," explained the man. "The suspect was clothed completely in black, save for the few red lines through his suit and helmet. He climbed into Sora's window from here. The assailant beat Sora with blows to the head, stomach, and chest. He attempted to kill Sora by slicing his left carotid artery, but I shot at him before he could finish. Then he disappeared."

"_Beaten by a shadowed figure... clothed completely in black, save for the few red lines through his suit and helmet."_

"_I shot at him... then he disappeared."_

"The masked boy..." Lightning murmured to herself in curiosity. Before her, the Director's head snapped up. "What did you say?" he breathed. Before Lightning could respond the Director's phone began ringing in his pocket, and with a grimace he picked it up and said hello. His expression grew stern. Then, with a nod he murmured that he would be there right away, and returned the device to his pocket.

"What's wrong?" asked Lightning. In return Sora's father smiled curtly. "Kairi is ready to talk. She's at the precinct in the City That Never Was, along with the owner of the hotel room she was found in." As she heard it Lightning's chest pounded. It took three long hours to pass from Destiny Islands to the nightclub city on the country's outskirts. When the trio walked within the walls of the city's spacious police station, the terrified howls of a middle aged man assailed their ears.

"What the hell?" muttered Lightning. In return Sora's father indicated the end of the hall, where three cops were forcing a man with wild black hair and a five o'clock shadow into an interrogation room.

"If you manhandle me I will sue you for everything you've got!" As one of the police attempted getting a hold of the man's arm, he whimpered in displeasure and held his wrist as if it had been wounded. When he noticed Lightning, though, the man stood stock-still and peered at her in confusion.

"You look... familiar," was all the man could manage. Without speaking Lightning commanded him inside the interrogation room, and like a sheep he turned and lumbered in without her help. Behind her Reno followed, and soon all three were seated across from one another at a steel table in the grey chamber's center. The scruffy fellow stared at the grey wall ahead with a depressed look, rubbing his face and scrunching his eyes as Reno and Lightning stared him down.

"You're from Cocoon, aren't you?" blubbered the man, glancing at Lightning with a sheepish pout. "I'm from Cocoon."

"Where were you between the hours of ten o'clock pm and eleven o'clock am?" Lightning responded. The man shrugged. "I don't remember anything past six."

"You were drunk by six o'clock?"

"Well... I can't remember!" the man complained. "What can you remember?" tried Reno, and the man furrowed his brows and scratched his head.

"I remember being in my hotel room. I went for a walk. Met up with a guy in a bar. Handsome. Asked me if I'd like to go to a party later. I said sure. I can't remember after that. I walked home from the party the next morning and saw this strange chick lying in my bed!

"Do you remember what the man inviting you to the party looked like?" sighed Lightning, digging her pen into the notebook at her side. The man shook his head.

"Did you have any previous relations with the girl found in your room?" Lightning continued. The man snorted. "I was just as surprised as she was when I found her."

"According to this file, you fit the physical description of a man who dropped her off in your hotel room at four o'clock from a house party on Jade Avenue. She was found in your hotel room, with your hotel key in front of the mat outside."

"Whom did you get this 'physical description' from?" demanded the man.

"The hotel surveillance tapes," replied Lightning. Hopeless, the man pulled his hair with his fingers. Then he leaned forward. "I've got a boyfriend back home," pleaded the watery-eyed fellow. "I wouldn't do this to him. Why would I go prancing around with some strange girl?"

"Does the strange boy at the party not count as prancing around?" Lightning cut in, and the man blushed. Behind Lightning the door to the interrogation room opened and a policeman shuffled inside with another file, placing it on the table before leaving. As Lightning perused its contents, she came across the conviction record of the suspect, its most scandalous content a previous misdemeanor for contact with gay prostitutes. When she finished reading, she sighed and set her head in her hands. Beside her, though, Reno's arms dropped. As he rushed for his bag to pull out his shades, Lightning watched him.

"Could you put these on?" Reno asked, handing the scruffy fellow his shades. Though the man narrowed his eyes, he slipped on the glasses and glanced at Reno shyly. With pursed lips Reno shook his head. "Doesn't look like him at all."

"Who?" asked Lightning as Reno placed his shades back in his pocket.

"Shadow boy. Remember?"

Lightning chuckled. "You think that the kid did all of this?" Ahead of her Reno shrugged. "It'd make this all real easy."

"Wouldn't that be a dream," murmured Lightning in return. For a second she scribbled a few things down in the report at her side. Then, after letting out a long sigh she stood and tapped the interrogation room two-way mirror, asking to speak with Kairi while Reno stayed with the suspect. Outside the door opened and a policeman escorted Lightning to a small break room across the hall, where a young girl with frazzled red hair sat drinking coffee. As Lightning looked at the girl her expression sharpened. Without waiting she trudged forward and walked inside the chamber. At the sudden slam of the door Kairi started, almost spilling her coffee in her lap. Luckily she caught it and converted it back to the table. Then she half smiled.

"Hi, Kairi," Lightning returned, and Kairi waved. "I'm going to ask a few questions, if you could just answer them-"

"Go ahead," Kairi responded, and Lightning nodded, sitting down and pulling a file from her lap.

"According to this file, at eleven thirty last night a neighbor saw you leave your window and walk down your street alley with another person. You were found this morning at one o'clock in the afternoon when you called the police from a hotel room in The City That Never Was."

"Correct," muttered Kairi in return. Tears threatened to fall against her pink cheeks. But somehow she held them back. Looking into the girl's clear blue eyes awoke something in Lightning, and she turned her head back to her paper. "You're nineteen now?" Asked the woman in a hushed voice, but Kairi responded that she was eighteen. In return Lightning perused her files, coming across eyewitness testimony reports confirming the girl's presence at the party on Jade Street from two to four o'clock in the morning. The report stated that she entered the party with a young man, who left her upstairs until the suspect offered to take her home.

"Can you tell me what happened, what you remember?"

Kairi nodded. "I'd just gotten into an argument with my friend's old foster dad, Marluxia, outside my house. Then I called my friend Riku. We talked about our friend Xion. Sora's dad called my dad. Then I blacked out," she mumbled. "When I woke up I was in a hotel room in The City That Never Was. As I called the police on the room phone the door opened and that guy came in." In response Lightning rubbed her palms in discomfort. "Who is Xion?" she inquired, trying a conversational tone.

"Just an old friend from Organization Thirteen," Kairi explained, her tears shrinking as she relaxed. "A year ago my buddy Naminé and her started living together in the old mansion in Twilight Town. I thought they still were until I came here."

"Why aren't they?" asked Lightning in curiosity.

"Something about Naminé's age," murmured Kairi in return. "I don't know much else. I should, but I don't."

"That's fine, Kairi," Lightning soothed. "Do you remember anything in between your room and the hotel? A party?" In return Kairi furrowed her brows. "I feel like I walked away from my house. That's it. I can't remember anything else except this humming noise," she added, and Lightning cocked her head to the side. "Like, music?"

"No, like a machine," Kairi responded. "And blue light. But that's all."

"Kairi..." Lightning started, choosing her wording wisely. "Your neighbor saw you climbing from your house at eleven thirty. Your phone call with Riku lasted from eleven o two to eleven seventeen. At eleven seventeen, Sora's father called your home, and you picked up the phone. You spoke with him for five minutes, till eleven twenty two. You left your window at eleven thirty, staggering, by two o'clock you were in a mansion in The City That Never Was, and by four o'clock you were blacked out in the suspect's hotel room. There was alcohol but no traces of drugs found in your blood. There was a wound in your neck."

"From a needle?" whispered Kairi. Lightning shook her head. "A two inch long laceration, three millimeters deep and just grazing a vein. According to our report there was blood and skin tissue on a broken bottle at the party."

"So I got drunk and cut my neck at a party I never went to?" muttered Kairi in befuddlement, padding at the wound. It was bruising badly, the skin surrounding tired and yellow. The drying blood at its center clotted black. Beside her Lightning shrugged. "You have attended parties at this and other locations throughout The City That Never Was before. You were recognized by name."

"Of course I was," Kairi snapped, "I'm a singer." As Lightning started asking if Kairi's parents forbid her from going to parties, the girl climbed to her feet and approached the door. Though Lightning did not follow she watched Kairi with intent. In the end, all the girl asked for was a mirror, and when Kairi received it she used it to examine her wound for the first time. As her nose wrinkled Lightning patted the table for her to sit back down.

"It's not as bad as it looks," the woman murmured. In front of her, Kairi shook her head. "It isn't that. It's just... familiar." The room fell silent as she thought. Then her expression changed from confusion to fear. "The only other time this happened was when I was fourteen. I was being used for something because I was special. I was what they called a 'princess of heart', filled with only light... I was injected with something, and my blood looked like this," she added as she pointed to her neck. "I was gone for three months."

"You were kidnapped by the Black Dragons, correct," responded Lightning. Again, Kairi shook her head. "No. They put me in a coma. This is the scar from where they injected me."

When Kairi lifted the arm of her jacket to reveal the softness of her inner elbow, Lightning furrowed her brows. There was a black prick mark in the center of the skin, surrounded by the slightest hint of grey. Again the room was quiet. But this time neither Lightning nor Kairi averted their eyes. "Kairi?" asked the woman in a soft voice. The girl leaned forward.

"You lived in Radiant Garden when you were younger, correct?"

Before nodding, Kairi blinked hard. "I've only recently regained memories from that time," she added. "I blocked it out for so long." A thousand thoughts whizzed through Lightning's mind as she tried to form words. In the end she simply asked what happened, so Kairi rubbed her head in deliberation before sighing.

"When I was five I lived there. All I remember is a blue haired woman giving me a necklace and my grandmother telling me stories. When I moved to Destiny Islands I had nightmares of a dark man with yellow eyes, staring down at me from a huge tower. Then black monsters would chase me to a river. That was a memory," as Kairi explained she rubbed her eyes in frustration. "One day, when I was still in Radiant Garden, the sky turned black and I was separated from my grandmother. I ran, but black monsters with yellow eyes followed me. I was carried down a river to the sea. I must have reached Destiny Islands that way."

"Did the dark boy have black hair?" breathed Lightning. But Kairi shook her head. "Silver." Then she pursed her lips. "Maybe this cut was from heartless venom. That's all I can think of."

Before Lightning could ask another question, there was a loud tap on the door followed by the muffled call of her name. With a scowl she responded that she would be out in a minute and excused herself. Behind her Kairi smiled. The girl looked exhausted. With an awkward smile Lightning patted the girl's hands. Then she left.

When Lightning came out to meet him Reno was leaning against the hallway wall picking at his nails. Every once in a while his eyes would fall upon the face of the Director and narrow, before averted with a scowl. As Lightning tapped him on the shoulder he jolted. Then he leaned towards her. "We found the guy who invited the suspect to the party."

"And?"

"A friend of the mansion owner's son. Scruffy slept with him after dropping off Kairi, apparently."

"So the hotel room owner was so smashed he offered to house Kairi at his hotel while he slept at the mansion?" asked Lightning. Reno nodded. "No one remembers who brought her in first."

"Humph," muttered Lightning in return. Perhaps Kairi was lying, saying she had been kidnapped to avoid getting in trouble with her parents while she vacationed with them. The stranger who had brought her to the party might have been afraid of dealing with her after she lacerated her neck, or feared being responsible for her blacking out. Perhaps that was why he escaped. But something nagged at Lightning, and as she glanced towards the Director she tapped Reno on the back. In curiosity the man bent towards her, and Lightning towards him as she whispered.

"I'm visiting Sora."

"What?" hissed Reno, his attention snapping to the Director, who chuckled as he took a call on his cell phone. "The kid's in hospital. The Director wanted you here to look at the crime scene."

"Stay here," responded Lightning. With that she left Reno's side and murmured to one of the Director's associates that she was heading back to Midgar, that she saw a capable team of investigators at work here and would graciously look over any new evidence in the laboratory at headquarters. Then, she pushed through the double doors leading into the building lobby and made her way to her car, hopping inside and driving towards the hospital in Destiny Islands, stopping by at a small flower shop along the way.

The hospital was a squat building tucked behind the back of the volcano gracing the main island's apex. Sora had a special room on the fifth floor, and a nurse was taking his blood pressure while another set a plate of food in front of him. Lightning spied them both as she walked towards the room. Sora's eyes were on the personal television hooked to the opposite wall, and he giggled as laughter echoed from the screen, grinning. His eyes betrayed exhaustion. Concealing her face behind the bouquet of flowers she had brought along, Lightning waited in the vestibule for the nurses to leave. Only when their backs disappeared behind the elevator double doors at the end of the fifth floor foyer did she open Sora's door. As he glanced up in surprise, the woman held out the bouquet for him to take. Beaming, Sora set the token at his side. Then he held out his palm for Lightning to shake. With inner reluctance she did. His left side was horribly bruised, his wrist bandaged and his forearm swollen and red. A thick bandage covered his neck. As Lightning's hand touched his, he winced, but continued grinning as he shook it. As their clasp released he sighed. Then he returned his disfigured limb gently to his side.

"How are you, Sora?" asked Lightning. Sora responded that he was doing wonderfully, opening his yogurt with his right hand and nudging his spoon inside without toppling the carton over. When Lightning tried helping, Sora waved her hand away. "You're a friend of dad, right?"

"I sure am," she sighed. "I was sent from Cocoon to assist in a case involving Shinra Electric Power Company and heard about what happened to you." Her voice took on a tone of sadness, but Sora brushed it off.

"Yeah, I was at my desk, and in the mirror I keep on it I noticed this guy in a black suit coming at me. I jumped up just as he noticed that I'd noticed him. He threw me out of my window!" whispered Sora in excitement, surprising Lightning. She had not expected this to be so easy. Luckily, Sora was a talker. "He tried telling me to tell my dad to stop investigating. Then, I looked at him, and I don't know why, I just called him Vanitas, isn't that wild?" Sora's ensuing snort filled the whole room, and he choked on his yogurt, dripping some from his nostrils. When Lightning produced a hanky from her pocket in return, he thanked her and wiped his mouth with it. Again, Lightning smiled.

"So you knew him and he still did that to you?" she murmured, shaking her head. "That is wild."

"Nah, I didn't know him," responded Sora. "I'd heard my friend Riku talk about him once. I don't know why I said it; I just knew that that was him. Or, I thought I did. He just laughed. Said he wasn't my friend, but he was a friend of my dad's."

"Not very friendly," Lightning encouraged, but Sora shook his head with vigor. "He wasn't a friend," the boy snarled. "Beat me up till I couldn't stand. So I told him I'd get my dad to work twice as hard to put him in jail. That made him angry." With this Sora's voice died, relegating him to silence as he scarfed down the rest of his dinner. Through his black swollen eyes Lightning could see tears forming, and his hands shook as he tried in vain to forget his fear. For a moment it made her feel guilty.

"But Riku must have known him," she murmured. "He knew his name, didn't he?"

"Riku's always talking about him," returned Sora in a husky whisper. "He's into this boy named Ventus. Vanitas used to bully Ventus when he was a kid. That's where I got the name. Don't know why I called this guy that, though." For the first time since Lightning had entered his room, Sora stopped eating and blinked down at the flowers at his side. Then he stared directly into Lightning's eyes, searching. "Why are you here?" murmured the boy. Lightning's expression had become hard as she deliberated her next course.

"Sora," the woman whispered, biting her lip. "I have a feeling that the same man who attacked you last night kidnapped Kairi."

"What?" gasped Sora, letting his yogurt fall in his lap as he sat up. As he tried to grimace, the swollen skin of his cheeks impeded him. "Is she okay?"

"She's just fine," returned Lightning, setting her hand on the side of Sora's bed. "But she did say something about 'heartless venom' and Radiant Garden." Though Lightning was not completely lying, guilt crept through her fingers as they curled for Sora's hand. The boy was dazed. In the silence of his thought his fists clenched Lightning's flowers until their stems tore apart. "Would Riku be better to talk about this with?"

Quickly Sora shook his head. He was anxious, his eyes darting back and forth as if he had made a grave mistake speaking with Lightning.

"Talk to Yen Sid," whispered the boy finally. "If he's willing to tell you anything."

* * *

The road to Yen Sid's house twisted and turned like a maze behind the homes of Twilight Town, and Lightning lost her way numerous times. Finally she found the ominous tower tucked along a path leading from the city train tracks and parked. A chill traveled through her as she exited the coupe and locked the doors behind her. The sun was descending in the sky, but the spire ahead blocked out its white rays completely, casting darkness against the barks of the evergreens. Its peak loomed an angry, deep blue in the waning gold. First she glanced about her. Then, Lightning trudged to the front door, knocked, and listened in awe as the echo boomed through the building, scattering the crows nestled at its peak. Now the pitter-patter of little footsteps echoed downwards, and an elderly woman dressed in pink answered the door with a start.

"Oh," the dear bubbled. After peering around, she asked Lightning how she could help her. In return Lightning held out her Investigation Bureau badge.

"I am a friend of Sora's father," She started, returning her credentials to her coat pocket. "I need some information in regards to a case. If Mr. Yen Sid could help us clear up a few things it could mean the end to organized crime in the Planet."

To this the elderly lady snorted, mumbling, "What an advertisement," under her breath, before smiling big. "Please come in. My name is Flora, and Master Yen Sid's office is upstairs," She added in a gush. Lightning went over that in her mind: not _Mr. _Yen Sid, but _Master _Yen Sid. Breaths of anxious excitement escaped her as Flora led her up several flights of stairs and into an ovular office with walls the color of unripened corn. At the center of the study a tall old man bent over his desk, examining a piece of paper with a magnifying glass. He did not look up as Flora introduced Lightning from the door, just waved for Flora to go and Lightning to sit down. It irked Lightning. But then again, perhaps people his age could afford to be rude. During the five-minute silence she examined his office until Yen Sid spoke.

"Flora tells me you are a crony for the Investigation Bureau," he growled.

"I'm actually not part of the Investigation Bureau at all," quipped Lightning. "I'm from Bodhum, Cocoon. I was sent here help with an investigation regarding Shinra and its scientist, Hojo."

"Who is now dead," returned Yen Sid flatly. Lightning replied that yes, he was very dead, causing Yen Sid to chuckle. "Riku told me you would be coming," sighed the old man. He still had not looked at her. In alarm Lightning sat up in her chair. "Riku?" she murmured, and Yen Sid nodded.

"Sora called him from the hospital to warn him about you," he growled. "Naturally Riku warned me as well."

Lost for words, Lightning sat back in her chair, dumbfounded but wondering if Sora's father knew about her visit to his son. Had Sora told Yen Sid about Kairi, as well? Ahead, the old man grunted. Then, he pointed towards his bookshelf, rummaging through his desk and taking out a key. "Give me the green journal," He mumbled, and Lightning nodded, finding it and bringing it to him. When it was set before him he unlocked it and closed his eyes, sitting back in his chair and pressing his fingertips together. "Turn to page five," He thrummed, and Lightning nodded, turning to page five. "Read it." Yen Sid continued.

"Sir-" tried Lightning, but Yen Sid cut her off and indicated for her to read. In reluctance she did.

"I laid eyes on the most beautiful bath robe on display in a shop window in the Land of Departure after my visit with Eraqus. However, when I entered the store asking for its price, I was informed that it cost twelve thousand munny!"

When Yen Sid chuckled Lightning looked up to see if he was crazy. "Read the next part." He rumbled, so Lightning continued. "If barter were still being used today, disgustingly priced items like this would cost a man his arm! And perhaps a couple of toes…"

Yen Sid signaled for Lightning to stop, and then leaned forward, looking at her closely. "What did that passage tell you?"

"That… people take advantage of each other!" Lightning ventured. "that it is one's duty to help others so that they cannot be taken advantage of!"

"You are reading much too much into this," grumbled Yen Sid. "It says what it says and it means what it means. That town transformed from a noble center of learning to a cesspit for money bats!" He went into a slight reverie for a moment, but then snapped out of it, growling, "The town was becoming aloof and touristy. Eraqus was a man of simple wants. He desired a better world at all costs. That is what ruined him."

Lightning listened with rapt attention, but Yen Sid stopped short and there was another painfully long pause while he stared out the window. "How can I trust you?" he finally entreated, and Lightning sighed, rubbing her temple. "I don't know, sir. But I wish you would."

"What about your war?" Yen Sid asked. "Tell me about that."

As Lightning thought, the electric blues of Kairi's irises returned to her mind. From the back of her memories, two scared, lighter blues stared up at her in their place. With a shiver Lightning murmured no. Then she stood, clinging to the side of her chair as she stared towards Yen Sid's windows. One was the shape of a star, the other a smooth crescent moon. Childish symbols of dreams. Outside of their frames, a gentle sunset had taken the horizon. It had been a long day, and Lightning needed to reach Midgar anyway. But as she turned to leave, a black suited figure rimmed in red invaded her fears. With deep breath she turned to Yen Sid once more. He was looking her in the eye.

"My father died when I was very young. I can hardly remember his face. My mother died of pneumonia when I was fifteen, so I was left to care for a sister three years younger than me. I joined the Guardian Corps after high school. Then the war started," Lightning explained quickly. "Many close friends died. But now I am regarded a hero in my country. I have the highest military honors, and am a high-ranking investigator. Trust is my job," she added with a cajoling smile. In reply Yen Sid stared back at her through narrowed eyes. Now Lightning could no longer smile like an idiot. So she cooled, staring back with the same intensity at the old man.

"What happened to your friends?" interjected Yen Sid. "How is your sister?"

"Dead," snapped Lightning. "All dead." As she thought about it her heart tugged. _"Not all dead,"_ a voice in the back of her brain murmured. Her breathing was shallow, and to fight it she closed her eyes and sucked in through her nose, waiting five seconds before exhaling.

"_Only the ones I loved most." _

Yen Sid's stare made the palms of Lightning's hands sweat, and in horror she realized her forehead was caked in moisture as well. When she leaned to the side a lump caught in her throat, and her vision swam. "It's hot," she breathed, gripping her chair back as if it would save her. From a fridge under his desk Yen Sid pulled out a cool bottle of water. But as it was pushed towards her Lightning reeled back, her stomach turning at the thought of anything entering it but tar. With a deep bow she turned and trudged to the door, pressing her body against the wall at its side as she knocked. She held her breast with anxiety as she waited for Flora to rescue her. Somehow she would drive to Midgar, and then she would see Reno. Just the thought of his crooked smile made her calm. It was that revelation that scared her the most.

"Dammit, let me out!" she growled, rapping the door when Flora did not come immediately. Behind her a drawer unlatched and opened. Then there was the clink of a bottle and the shuffle of feet from the base of a chair. Yen Sid was walking towards her. When he reached Lightning's side he held out a bottle of strong smelling oil. "Put it under your nose," rumbled the old man, and without thinking Lightning complied. As it traveled upwards the oil's scent clung to the insides of Lightning's olfactory system and burned, making her eyes water. "Sit down," Yen Sid added in a murmur, rubbing Lightning's back as he guided her back to the seat in front of his desk. For a moment she cupped her hand around her mouth in alarm. She was going to vomit. Her head was swimming and there was a lump in her throat the size of Jupiter. When she opened her mouth to warn Yen Sid of her predicament, though, a moan came out instead of bile. Unable to resist the burning sensation traveling up her throat, Lightning curled over and heaved, letting her hair fall over her knees as her back shuddered. When she glanced at the floor between her knees there was nothing there but droplets of clear, salty liquid. Tears.

As Lightning cried she could see nothing but masses of unripened corn and a fuzzy outline of brown she suspected to be Yen Sid's desk. A shuffling column of blue neared her side and a strong hand rubbed her back as she wept. As the oil cooled her head, it began to throb from the strain of her emotion. Soon, though, it was over, and the woman sat back in exhaustion as Yen Sid stared in her eyes. After she had squeezed out the last drop of salt her eyes could muster she let out a long sigh and rubbed them dry, patting her face to see how it felt. Puffy and searing hot.

"Do you have any more water?" croaked Lightning. Quick as a whip the bottle was in her hand along with an icepack, which she draped across the right side of her face as she watched Yen Sid with her left. In a twisted way he seemed pleased. He had returned to his desk chair. And this time, instead of a magnifying glass an old, battered notebook sat before him. It looked to be a mixture of several notebooks with portions of others glued inside, along with newspaper clippings and little scribbles in the margins.

"What's this?" asked Lightning as Yen Sid turned over its cover.

"Read it out loud. Form your own picture of events."

Though exhausted Lightning's stubborn resolve returned, and she flipped to the first page. "The whole thing? She murmured, and Yen Sid nodded.

She blinked, and then shrugged, going to where the words began. Then she read.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! As a side note, I found that the Black Dragons _are _a real gang. So is Diablo (I think it's a biker gang). I could have gone with the Black Ravens or something, but there you have it. Can you guess who this is referring to? **

**For me things are tying up really well this second time around. I'm seeing connections between characters and events that I never saw before, and I'm trying to incorporate them. If there are any grammatical mistakes in this chapter, it's cause I'm incoherent past two in the morning and that's when I write. **

**These chapters are so crazy long… I don't even know how I do it. But I do enjoy reading them as I edit! Ciao!**


	21. Journals of Eraqus and His Apprentices

As Aqua approached the dorm building suspended on the left side of the university by metal gilded bars, she slunk beneath, crouched in the grass, and looked up. Far up its brick wall fluttered the curtains of her window. When she caught sight of an overhanging drainpipe she smiled. Then she ran to its side and shimmied up its surface, until she was suspended a floor above her own. When she had gained her balance on the fourth floor windowsill, she let go of the drainpipe and crouched until her hands where clasped around its edge. Then she lowered herself to her own windowsill and dropped inside. When she tiptoed towards her clothes drawer, her dorm mate, Cassandra, snorted.

"Out again with those boys?" she asked, and Aqua rolled her eyes. "My friends, Cass."

"I was only joking," replied Cassandra. "Why don't you hang out with girls more often?" she added in a murmur.

"If I happen to make a friend that's a girl, I will," Aqua responded, ending it. There was silence. Then, Aqua returned to the window and climbed out again, hoisting herself back to the drainpipe and down to the grass. As she walked she noticed Cassandra's head pop through the curtains.

"You know, one of these days I'm gonna tell on you," joked the younger girl with a grin, making Aqua chuckle. "You'll only have tonight." With a mock scowl Cassandra shook her head and disappeared. Aqua smirked as she turned away. The dorms were on the left side of The Land of Departure's university, overlooking the mountain trail. Now Aqua hurried over the front steps to the forecourt and charged down the ruddy path at its side, until the golden chains of the left peak loomed close at her side. The smell of the cherries growing on its back drifted to her nose and Aqua inhaled. Then, stepping away from the summit path, trudged through the water towards them, and picked the unripened ones as she passed. They would not be ready till June, but they were close. Their little yellow backs possessed speckles of red, now, and some of their sides glowed wine. As Aqua caught sight of a good one, she felt someone grip her shoulder and whizzed around, ready to strike. Her mouth nearly dropped to the floor when she saw who it was.

"Xemnas!" she beamed, throwing her arms around the man.

"Whoa, tiger! What's gotten into you?" asked Xemnas gently, but Aqua shrugged. "I just haven't seen you in so long. What're you doing out here so late?"

"I was watching the meteor shower on the peak," Xemnas chuckled, pointing towards the metal rings gracing the top of the mountain they stood upon. "I had not idea I'd find you sneaking around."

"You're the one sneaking around," chuckled Aqua. "How is your first year out of college?"

"Almost over, thankfully. Still haven't gotten a job."

"You'll get one soon, Xemnas," Aqua whispered. "You're so _smart_." A twinge of sadness colored her voice. As her head bent, Xemnas lifted her chin, asking her what was wrong.

"I…" she started. But her resolve broke. "I'm afraid I won't pass the MM Exam," she mumbled, making Xemnas shoot her a stern glance.

"You'll never pass with that attitude. Where's the Aqua I knew? Come on…" he added, nudging her playfully. She blushed and smiled in return. "I know that you'll pass, Aqua," murmured Xemnas. "I have faith in you."

He hesitated for a moment before kissing Aqua. But after he did, he got up quickly and waved goodbye. "See you around," mumbled the man with hesitation. As he passed her side Xemnas placed a small box in Aqua's palm. Then he trudged off, back towards the train station over the lake surrounding the Land of Departure's mountain ranges. As she watched his frame disappear Aqua touched her lips with the tips of her fingers, waving absentmindedly. "Bye, Xemnas," she whispered. When she placed the box in her pocket she nearly snagged the blue way finder charm she had given herself for good luck. She returned to her dorm room with the outline of both pressing against her thighs.

* * *

As she filed towards the academy's grand hall, Aqua met paths with Terra, the other senior. His blue eyes stared ahead through knitted, chocolate brown brows, and he clenched the water bottle in his fist so hard the plastic bent. When the two met gaze they gave curt nods, too nervous to address each other with real words. Only when they heard the giggle of their nine-year-old classmate Ven did their hearts lighten. When Terra chanced asking if Aqua was ready, she smiled, and responded, "always." Then they were inside. As the head master and a fellow Associates Board member sauntered through the grand hall and took their seats on the throne platform below the room's rose window, Ven hurried around their backs to stand on the chamber's right side. Professor Eraqus addressed his students standing.

"Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery," he intoned. "Not one but two of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates- but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy. Not a test of wills- but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither. But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort" Eraqus added, indicating a bald man with yellow eyes, who nodded to both of the students, "did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the mark. I trust you are ready." He added, and Terra and Aqua said yes.

"Then let the examination begin!" responded Eraqus with a smile, beckoning the testers. Three men and two women in white robes stepped forward, spreading out in a line with their hands behind their backs. As Terra and Aqua glanced towards one another, the tester on the far right searched through narrowed eyes for Xehanort. When he met his gaze, the old man's golden irises narrowed with a grin. His right palm flexed. Then he brought it up to cover his mouth as he coughed. Beside him, Eraqus watched the exam lazily.

For five minutes fighting was uncomplicated. The testers started at a high level, of course, and Aqua and Terra demonstrated the defensive measures they had been taught over their six years under Eraqus's tutelage. Then, suddenly one tester turned from the battle and stared straight at Ventus, watching the boy as he clapped his hands and laughed. As the tester circled the ten-yard diameter separating himself from the boy, Aqua glanced towards Eraqus with anxiety to see if it had been planned. Eraqus did not move, and ahead of him the tester lunged.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua shouted in unison, drawing the boy's attention to the man flinging towards him. The boy crouched low and took the tester out with a single blow. "Don't worry about me!" he shouted. "You two focus on the exam!"

"But Ven, you're in danger here!" Aqua shouted back at him. "Go wait in your room!"

"No way!" he responded with intensity. "I've been looking forward to this- seeing you two become masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!" Aqua's heart went out to him as Ven looked upon her with bright eyes. He was so young. "He can take care of himself." Reassured Terra.

"Yeah!" Ventus piped up enthusiastically, grinning at Terra. "Stay sharp, Ven." Aqua warned, and the boy beamed. As he charged over to fight the testers as well, Eraqus leaned back in his seat, glancing with a self-satisfied smile at his colleague. In return Xehanort's golden eyes narrowed.

Terra's heart thudded like chains against stone as he fought, and the sweat dripped from his brow in huge droplets. His fighting style was forceful, slow but powerful strokes hard enough to knock a man off his feet. Aqua's was light and quick. She did not tire easily, and as a burly tester trundled towards her and swung his dulled broadsword for her shoulder, she dodged effortlessly and clocked him in the back of the knees, sending him down. As he watched Terra gulped.

"_That one is me,"_ the young man thought to himself. For a moment he glanced at Eraqus. The man was staring at Aqua, a grin spreading across his face. Xehanort was whispering in his ear as he laughed. Ven cheered her on as well. While Terra watched he did not notice the short female instructor slinking towards him until she tried knocking him out. As the butt end of her knife flung for his neck, Terra whizzed back and swung his weapon. As expected the tester dodged, making Terra angry. _"They knock us out but we can't do the same to them?" _he hissed to himself. It did not seem fair. After twenty minutes had passed, Eraqus dismissed the testers and stood. Once they were gone and his students regained their breath, he wet his lips.

"That was unexpected." Apologized the man shortly. "But one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test. One I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial. Now, Terra and Aqua, you will face each other in combat," he boomed. Though the expressions of his students did not change, shock froze them in their steps. As Terra glanced into Aqua's cool blue eyes, his own narrowed. Then, the two turned and trudged ten feet before facing each other.

"Remember," warned Eraqus. "There are no winners- only truths. For when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed."

As the air drew heavy with anticipation, Terra and Aqua avoided meeting eyes. Terra was sure Aqua had an unfair advantage. He was panting, while she let out short cool breaths. On the right throne chair, Xehanort looked at the young man with a slight sneer as Eraqus inhaled.

"Begin." He said simply, and the two hopefuls lunged at one another with stunning ferocity. This time, Terra did not see whom Ven or his instructors were cheering on. All he could hear were their voices. In his preoccupied state Aqua was able to swing her weapon for Terra's shoulder, eliciting a groan as he barely blocked her advance.

"Aqua is doing very well," gargled a gravelly voice ahead. Eraqus's gentle tone agreed, and Terra gritted his teeth in anger. Suddenly Aqua's short grins seemed pompous, her posture conceited. As she turned to advance again, Terra's muscles went into motion, and he switched his blade from his left to his right hand in expectation. As she neared she crouched forward and dragged her weapon behind her, getting ready for a string of moves she often used against Terra in practice. No doubt she would add something new, now. As she neared, Terra settled his weapon in his left palm and leaned back with his right leg. Only when his left fist curled to his chest did he realize what he was about to do. Forcing his feelings back, Terra stood straight and gripped his blade in both hands, meeting Aqua's blade with his own. Ahead, Xehanort whispered in Eraqus's ear.

When he had had enough, Eraqus stopped the fighting and beckoned for Terra and Aqua to step outside. Then he sat back in exhaustion. Beside him Xehanort scratched his old chin. "Uppercut," he murmured, and Eraqus nodded. "I recognize darkness in his heart," added the older man. Still sitting, Eraqus called for his students to return. When Terra and Aqua were standing side by side in the room's center, Eraqus heaved himself from his chair. "We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably. However, only Aqua has shown the Mark of Mastery." Eraqus explained. "Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check. But there is always next time. That is all." He finished, turning to Aqua. "Aqua, as our newest Keyblade Master, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction." As Eraqus turned, Aqua glanced towards Terra.

"Hey…" she started. The sound of Ventus' padding feet magnified as he reached Terra's side. "Terra, I'm sorry." He gulped. Without responding Terra left, trudging from the throne room to the great hall and out the double doors towards the forecourt. There he sat on the academy's front steps and watched as fellow students hurried to their classes. Some waved. With effort Terra returned the favor. Not a soul would know of his failure. In the distance children trudged up the peaks, picking cherries and hiding them in their jacket pockets as they hiked.

"'_There's darkness within me'," _thought Terra bitterly, mocking Eraqus' voice in his mind. "So what? I know I'm strong enough to hold it back."

"Yes." A gravely voice hissed behind him, and Terra whipped around to see who was there. Master Xehanort stood on the top step of the college entrance. "You are indeed strong." He murmured. "The darkness is nothing to fear."

"Master Xehanort." Terra acknowledged in a defeated way, not wanting to speak with one of the men who had kept the mark of mastery from him. But knowing he had no choice.

"And yet… how frustrating it is that Eraqus refutes its power." Xehanort added, shocking Terra. "Why, you could train with him forever, and still… you'd never be a Master in his eyes." As he sighed he came to sit at Terra's side, making the hairs on the younger man's arms stand on end as the old man's jacket brushed against them. Terra had never sat this close to Eraqus in his life. Xehanort seemed different- more like a crackling flame than strong stone. Despite his sadness Terra found himself grinning. Could it have been_ Xehanort_ fighting for Terra to pass, while Eraqus refused?

"But why?" Terra cried. "Help me understand, Master Xehanort! What is it that I failed to learn?"

When Master Xehanort looked Terra in the eye a smile crept onto his face. "You are fine as you are. Darkness cannot be destroyed, my boy. Not yours. It can only be channeled." With that he gave Terra a strong squeeze on the shoulder. It was reassuring and warm. "Thank you, Master," responded Terra in a whisper. Behind him, bells wrung through the air. Class did not start for another hour. So why were the bells ringing? Had Master Eraqus changed his mind?

As Terra made his way back through the front hall he noticed how the bell's echoes rumbled and shuddered the supports lining the inner walls. Everyone would hear them and wonder. When he was ten yards from the throne room he heard muffled voices within. Eraqus and Aqua. Though Terra tried to be happy for her he could not stop thinking about what Xehanort had said. As he pressed the door to the grand hall open, Eraqus turned from Aqua and hurried to the small communication booth behind. On it was a small screen. Yen Sid's picture came up, and when Eraqus pressed the 'receive' button he listened as the old master spoke with urgency.

"What happened?" Terra asked as he made his way to Aqua's side. "I don't know." She mumbled in return, glancing around for Ventus. She became worried when he didn't show up. "Why isn't Ven here?" As she looked for him she wrung her fingers. Beside her Terra thought of the way the last tester had attacked Ven during the exam.

"Very well, then. I will send my pupils to investigate." Eraqus muttered into communicator's speaker. "Yes. I understand. Farewell." When Eraqus returned his attention to his students he prompted them to stand at attention. Then, with a sigh he explained.

"That was my dear old friend, Yen Sid. As you know, he is a Master no more. But he still keeps a close eye on the tides of light and dark."

Terra tried not to snort. "Light and dark" Eraqus rambled, as if the world were a fairy tale where light was the knight and darkness the dragon. In all of his lectures he had talked about these abstract concepts. Suddenly Terra wondered if they were real at all.

"His council serves as signposts on the road we wielders of the keyblade must walk," continued Eraqus. "All the more reason, then for concern- for her tells me the princesses of heart are in danger. Not only from the forces of darkness, as you may assume, but also from a new threat. One that feeds on negativity." He added. "Fledgling emotions that have taken monster form within their hosts. Yen Sid calls them the 'unversed'. As wielders of the keyblade, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news onto Master Xehanort, but my repeated attempts to reach him have failed. I doubt there is any connection, and yet… this all troubles me."

There was a break in the explanation, as Eraqus grew dubious. Soon, though, he brushed it off, turned back to his students, and held out his arms. "So here we are. You must get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed and find Master Xehanort. You will receive certificates allowing you entrance to situations that you would otherwise be prohibited from. The darkness looms closer within these spaces, but your armor will protect you." He added, pointing to his heart, and then his head. "Remember that order must be kept. Tell no one what has occurred."

"Yes master!" called Aqua, bowing but lingering. After Terra bowed, he turned to leave immediately, wondering how fast he could pack up his things. When his hand fell against the doorknob Eraqus called him back. "Consider this an opportunity," murmured the professor as his student turned to face him. "A second chance for you to change my mind."

"What?" Terra asked incredulously, and Eraqus nodded. "You must know, I care for you like my own son. If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second." For a moment his body loosened and he stepped forward, as if he yearned to embrace Terra, but for some reason could not. In sudden physical incompetency Eraqus languished until embarrassment turned him to stone. Ruthlessly he snapped, "but how can I when you are so obsessed with power? Terra," intoned the man, "You mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness. You must never forget."

"Thank you, Master," muttered Terra in return. "I swear I will not fail you again." As he disappeared Aqua examined him with caution. "Master," she murmured, "I'd best be on my way." As she exited the grand hall Eraqus accompanied her, asking one more favor.

"Look after Terra," whispered the man. "He is sinking because of this setback. I could not bear to lose any of you to the darkness."

Aqua's reply was a promise- to bring Terra back. "Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master," she added. "He's not as weak as you think." Then she was gone.

Eraqus was not surprised. Aqua thought he was cruel, keeping Terra from what he had worked hard to receive. But Eraqus could not take chances. Not with what Yen Sid warned him of, that something terrible was about to happen. The old master was never wrong. He had correctly predicted the day of the end of the Wutai War. Shinra won, as expected. But the grip the company took over Planet was staggering. All Masters Academies closed, mystic teaching outlawed, hundreds of lives lost. Friends gone- old ones, too.

As terrible memories overtook Eraqus, he touched the scar on his face and ambled towards the rose window, glancing through its soft glaze. The room he stood within had originally been a chapel. Beneath its carpet, up to the cement-based altar, the indentation of pew legs could be made out under light. As Eraqus wandered he counted them. With strong metal bars, dorms and classrooms had been added to either side, connected to the main building by narrow hallways suspended in the air. If you stared out their windows at the right angle, you could see sun against the grass beneath. Shade flowers grew in the darkness cast by the suspended dorms' floor, nasty weeds picked by the first years to teach them determination.

In the hallway outside, Eraqus could hear Ventus' frightened voice rising and ebbing as the boy dashed outside.

* * *

Ventus sat in his room; staring at the wooden blade his friend had given him a year back. He couldn't believe Terra hadn't passed the Mark of Mastery Exam. It hurt to think about it. As the thunder of bells rose around Ventus' feet he jumped from his bed and looked about in alarm. There was still an hour left till class changed. The bells never rang at this time. If he peeked outside his window, Ventus could see Terra's outline as he sat against the front steps of the academy. As the older boy ran his fingers through his dark hair, the bald head of Master Xehanort bobbed as he sat down beside him. With a curled lip Ventus stared as the old man patted Terra on the shoulder. Then, as Ventus broke gaze and ran for his bedroom door, he hesitated, watching a shadow stir in the corner of his eye.

"Better hurry, Ventus," thrummed its voice, causing Ventus to whip around. There, leaning on an old box Ventus stacked his books on top of, was the dark silhouette of a being. A strange mask covered its head. But its entire face and scalp was a black visor. Ventus wondered what lay beneath. "Who are you?" barked the boy, but the figure ignored him.

"Or you'll never see Terra again," it continued in a murmur.

Ventus furrowed his brows and tightened his grip on Terra's wooden blade. He didn't know what else to do. "What?" he blubbered. "Get real! I can see Terra anytime I want!"

Cocking its head to the side, the creature looked around him, placing his hands on his hips as he pantomimed thought. "Like right now?" mocked the man. "He's leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up…" he continued, turning his head so that he looked Ven in the eye. Even though the mask covered the figure's face, Ventus could feel its gaze boring into him.

"He'll be a different person." The figure finished. A chill went down Ventus' spine.

"Look- whoever you are. You don't know the first thing about Terra!" Ventus snapped, trying to hide his fear. "Me and him will always be a team! You trying to pick a fight or what?" he finished, lowering into a crouch as he cocked the wooden blade before his face. The black figure took one look at him and burst into laughter, curling over as Ventus stood in befuddlement. When the figure regained control, it turned and trudged towards Ventus' circular sea lamp, shaking its head as it examined the glassfish orbiting the little sphere of light. "Oh, grow up," it drawled. "Is that what you call friendship?"

"You'll never know the truth unless you look for it yourself," continued the figure. Again, it turned. "Come on. What could you possibly know when you're stuck in here, looking at nothing but what's in your tiny world?" Though Ventus tried not to crumble, he could not help but gaze at the juvenile sea lamp, and the gentle orbit of its fish around its blue covered bulb. The black figure did not linger. When their shoulders touched as the creature passed, a jolt like lightning traveled up Ventus' arm, a strange, dark energy that emitted from the beings's shoulders and chest. When the blond boy followed the figure into the hall outside his room, it had gone. Then, flinging his wooden blade on his bed, Ventus peeled for the main building, watching from the window as Terra stood and went for his motorcycle, parked beneath the right building's floor.

"Terra!" screeched the boy, firing down the staircase to the academy's main lobby before lunging out its entrance door and onto the forecourt. As he tripped down the front steps Terra turned to look at him in surprise, even cocking a grin as the boy flailed at his feet. "I, I, I," the boy gasped, trying to regain his breath. But Terra only ruffled the boy's hair and smiled. "It's okay," he murmured. His motorcycle was at the right side of the forecourt, parked but ready to go. When Terra gave Ventus one last parting smile, he turned and sauntered towards it, pulling it to its side and placing his key in the ignition. Then, sliding his backpack over his shoulders, he threw his leg over its right side and revved the engine, flying from the forecourt and through the summit, where he would cross the bridge over the river surrounding the Land of Departure. As Ventus watched his form disappear an unrecognizable fear overtook the boy, and he looked about in anxiety, digging in his pockets for tangible reassurance. His fingers curled around paper, and when he brought it into the sunlight he saw that it was a thousand munny.

A voice was calling out behind him, but he ignored it as he dashed down the side of the mountain that the academy was set upon. If Ventus was fast enough, he could beat Terra to the train station and catch up to him outside the city lines. He just needed to know where his friend was going. As he sloshed through the swamp portion of the river beneath the academy, Aqua charged out from the main lobby of the university and past the confines of the forecourt, leaning over its fenced ledge so she could see Ventus. His form disappeared beneath the bridge leading to the summit.

"Wait, Ven!" called Aqua in vain. But he was gone. There was the sound of clobbering feet behind her. Then Eraqus stood at her side. "He mustn't," he growled. Then he turned to Aqua. "You have to bring him back!"

In return Aqua nodded. Then, she ran for her own motorcycle, unhooked it from its chains, and whizzed off after her friends.

* * *

As Eraqus sat at his desk he penned in his journal, taking slices of the newspaper or the communications of Yen Sid and putting commentary to them. Now as he puzzled over the information lying in his lap, he faltered.

_Unversed: colloquial term for individuals suffering disease unnamed and of unknown origin. Symptoms: chronic depression, bipolar tendencies, sociopathic tendencies. Violence. Incubation period unknown, transmitted intravenously._

From the last region board meeting, this was all that had been come up with. The threat of the unversed was tangible enough that it had been discussed in multiple meetings in the past. Thankfully, the citizens of the cities represented did not know the brevity of the problem, some board members even scoffing at the idea of an "emotional crisis" in their counties. That term had gotten a good laugh from a portion of the table. As the rest of the board members chuckled, all Eraqus and Yen Sid could do was glance towards each other, and then towards Master Xehanort's empty chair. After Terra and Aqua's MM exam, Xehanort had informed Eraqus that he would be taking a business trip to Palumpolum for several weeks. Those weeks dragged by.

There was a loud knock on the door. Instinctually Eraqus swept his journal work from his lap and into the drawer on the left side of his desk. As he recomposed himself, a blond head of hair poked within the threshold of his office, followed by golden skin and titian eyes. As the man's whole body formed, Eraqus found himself gasping his visitor's name.

"Ansem the Wise!" he murmured, standing and throwing his arms to either side. As Ansem shuffled forward a deep peal of laughter escaped Eraqus' throat. Then they were in each other's arms, embracing and clapping each other's backs as though they could press their palms to each heart within their ribs. When they separated the men kept their hold of the other's shoulder, beaming wide, young smiles. Then they broke hold, and Eraqus indicated the plush seat before his desk. While Ansem made himself comfortable, Eraqus searched through his top drawer for some instant espresso and took the packets towards the nespresso machine at the back of the office. As he fiddled with the machine Ansem chortled.

"My god!" gasped the blond man, unwrapping his red scarf from his neck as he shook his head. "Eraqus Nexi in the twenty first century. Am I dreaming?"

"Unfortunately not," responded Eraqus, prodding at the machine's capsule container with a carved stick of wood. When he had ensured the contraption worked he tapped the baton to its scalp thrice.

"Why are you still doing that?" snapped Ansem as he watched the outline of the wand disappear in the folds of Eraqus' robes. "You can't be afraid Xehanort poisoned your coffee?"

"No," sighed Eraqus in return. "Call it compulsive. A good luck ceremony taught by my master years back, to be done at all times. If I forgot, he would slap my hands with thin bamboo."

"Your master was a crackpot," grumbled Ansem, grimacing as the coffee drip began to whine.

"Did you know that the path of the key blade master was once ceremonial, religious?" asked Eraqus. In return Ansem chuckled. "Did you slap people's hands with thin bamboo?"

"No," responded Eraqus. "Before the key blade war we were glorified warriors, thought to have been possessed by spirits of light and darkness as children. Most of the time these possessions took place through key blade inheritance ceremonies, where an ancient spirit would be passed down from old master to new. That way the old traditions would survive. I come from this way."

"Hum," grumbled Ansem in reply, uneasiness gripping him in his chair. "Did Yen Sid also come from these traditions?"

"Similar traditions," murmured Eraqus. "But a different master." As he spoke, the sting of bamboo whipped his hands, back, and legs. In sudden discomfort he clasped together his palms and hid them beneath the folds of his ceremonial garb. Ansem watched him with fixed eyes. Then the nespresso machine clicked, and the blond man stood to retrieve two cups from a cabinet on the far right of the office. When he held the pair side by side, Eraqus chuckled and pointed to the left. In return Ansem filled both with espresso and set the left at his friend's side, taking his own back to the plush chair.

"You know what I think has gotten you talking about the past?" tried Ansem, sipping his coffee slowly. "This little emotional crisis going around." This made Eraqus snort, and as he blew steam from his own cup he shook his head.

"It is strange, what with the epidemic going around, and old Xehanort not in sight," murmured the blond man further, glancing upon the academy's forecourt, where students were resting between classes. "You'd think he'd have something good to say about it."

With a chuckle, Eraqus returned, "What are you implying, old boy?" causing Ansem to grit his teeth in anger. "I am implying that I think he has something to do with it!" Eraqus could not help but laugh. "I think that you may have caught the epidemic yourself- you're exhibiting intense and frightening rage!"

"Oh, I never liked that decrepit old dog," sneered Ansem with confidence, glancing at Eraqus through a grin. Eraqus shook his head. "You would be wise to give respect to those more seasoned in the trials of life than yourself."

"Trials of life?" spit Ansem incredulously, adding, "We're all in this together, aren't we?" before he glanced into the room's shadows. "Well, except for him and his Shinra cronies." As Ansem grumbled to himself, Eraqus scoffed and set down his mug. "I've never understood your distaste for the man. You are both purveyors of the future."

"No, no, no, my friend," snapped Ansem in reply, shaking his index finger at his friend with a bitter smile. "_I _disprove the illusions of our past. _You _and _your _key blade masters provide resuscitation to a dying tradition, and _Xehanort _is a mad man masquerading as a revolutionary."

"Understand that you are heaping a plethora of very intelligent people into the role of misguided traditionalists, Ansem, including Yen Sid."

"Yen Sid is no traditionalist! He understands the old ways must adapt with our world! And as for _Xehanort_," the blond continued, "I've seen the way Yen Sid looks at him! He does not trust him!"

Eraqus opened and then closed his mouth, increasingly perturbed. Xehanort's views had always ruffled the feathers of the other Associate's board members. But never had he been deemed untrustworthy. At least not from what Eraqus had heard. As he remembered the days when he and Xehanort served as key blade apprentices, his fingers traced the scars over his left eye and against the right side of his jaw. As old as they were, they still stung.

"Perhaps, when he returns, we shall talk." He whispered. "After all, we are…were… friends…"

Ansem looked at him strangely before chuckling. "I find it curious that two people as different as yourselves could carry such a friendship." Then his head bent low. "But I apologize for what I said earlier. I have studied your legends and find great truths in their passages."

"Well, then," chuckled Eraqus, "do not let them consume you." His eyes were drawn again to the forecourt. A seventh grader, tall for his age, sauntered from one group of children to the next, asking for something. All except an eighth grade girl ignored him, and soon both engaged in a duel. As Eraqus watched he was reminded of Terra and Aqua. And of Ventus. It had been weeks since the MM exam, and the boy had not yet returned home. He was chasing Terra, no doubt. Aqua was not far behind. As Eraqus' hand fell to his scars again, his heart faltered.

His eyes drew to his bookshelf, where sat a collection of the oldest folktales in his region, compiled by Master Almeda in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In it was the story of the princesses of heart, seven hallowed females untouched by the pallor of darkness, the only humans in the entire world devoid of the vile substance. There were other stories. There were ways of recognizing the hearts within the princesses. When one studied the art of the key blade master and the tradition of the inner heart, one became attuned to the darkness within themselves. They could sense the ebb and flow of each substance, tell which one held a tighter grasp over their actions. _"Left hand is darkness," _the memory of Master Damianus hissed in Eraqus's ear, cracking his left fist with bamboo. _"Right hand is light." _Water he poured against the right. _"Set them side by side, murmur the tradition of the hands, and you will know which one is stronger." _Eraqus had been left-handed. Now he wrote with his right. That tradition he had not passed down. Only after many years did he realize that dominant hand was not an indicator of evil.

Ventus was left-handed. Yet he had come to Eraqus purely of light. But it was strange. Only the seven princesses of heart were born with souls of pure light immune to the possession of darkness. When Eraqus first met Ventus the boy had been in a coma. At the time, Ansem was visiting. He had also seen the child. Now, the philosopher scientist examined his dark haired companion with an intrusive glance.

"What has really got you worried, my friend?" he murmured. For a moment Eraqus could not respond. Then, with an odd smile he asked if Ansem remembered the story of the X-blade. Though his blond headed companion chuckled, his eyes glazed over with eager thought.

"One being of pure light melded with another of pure darkness? Of course!" Ansem set his coffee down as he prepared to explain, giddiness taking his hands.

"Two beings forged as one. A single imperturbable, indestructible heart capable of comprehending all."

In return Eraqus admitted he never understood it, causing Ansem to cock his head to the side in deep thought. "Well, it's simple. Just another path to infinite wisdom. Imagine, though, knowing the secret to every heart."

"Don't tell me you're after infinite wisdom as well, Ansem." Eraqus murmured, but Ansem boomed laughter. "You bet I am!" The professor could not help but laugh, joining hands across the desk with his old friend as they doubled over and howled. Once they had recovered Eraqus put his nightmares to rest with a wave of his hand.

"Call it foolish superstition," chuckled the man, "but I was worrying about Ventus. As you know, the boy came to me with a heart of pure light."

"Yes," responded Ansem, his laughter suddenly snuffing out. "It is too bad you did not let me perform tests on the child. I could have saved you many years of cooping him up here."

"The tale of the X-blade controlled me," sighed Eraqus. "Because of it, I robbed Ventus of a normal childhood." Guilt crept into the professor's features as he remembered the way the boy tagged along after Terra and Aqua, a pair twice his age. When they left, whom would Ventus have at his side? "Perhaps my misgivings were incorrect," chuckled the man. "After all, darkness and light cannot be extracted. Perhaps Ventus is just special."

When Eraqus noticed Ansem's uncharacteristic silence, he knew that something was wrong. As he turned to his friend and noticed his downcast eyes, his grin faded. He waited in expectation until Ansem cleared his throat and looked up.

"Eraqus," murmured the man in a gentle purr. "I have extracted light and dark from human beings." When Eraqus was too shocked to respond, the man explained, "ever since seeing Ventus in a coma, I started wondering. I know now. Both substances I have placed in perfect conditions free of contaminants to see how they react when brought together. I know they are naturally occurring."

"Do they influence behavior?" Eraqus tried, but Ansem shrugged. "I have not gone that far."

"What about the unversed?" asked Eraqus. Ansem responded that he was looking into it.

There was momentary silence. Again Ventus lingered into Eraqus's thoughts. "So Ventus's darkness could have been extracted?" Ansem responded that it would explain the coma.

"If so, where was it put?" added the blond man. As the two pondered, Eraqus stood.

"I realize, now, the graveness of this situation," murmured the dark headed man with wide eyes. "I have let a weapon of destruction flit about wherever it likes." As he paced, Ansem looked at him strangely. "I think you take these folk tales too seriously, Eraqus."

"Yen Sid informed me that he had the feeling something terrible was amiss. I am not going to take any chances. The X-blade is legendary. I would not like to meddle with it."

"But isn't that what it is, Eraqus?" pleaded Ansem. "A legend?" Bells tolled, signaling the beginning of class, and Eraqus sighed as he fished a pair of keys from his desk. Ansem watched closely as he crossed the room before addressing him. "Eraqus." He called quietly, and the man turned back to him with curiosity.

"X means death. But does not death breath new life?" pondered the philosopher. "Perhaps these stories are not literal. Perhaps they are mere indicators of a change in path. Destruction and change go hand in hand. But always, there sprouts a new flower." As he explained, the man trudged to his friend's side and patted him on the back. "The way of the key blade master is no longer a priesthood, Eraqus. It is a code of honor. Treat it as nothing more."

"If the darkness was extracted from Ventus, it would have had to be put in a vessel. Once this vessel was developed enough to function on its own, it would be sent out, like a shadow, to find and bind with Ventus," hissed Eraqus in return. In reply, Ansem threw up his hands and shook his head.

"This is your path, old friend," murmured the philosopher. "I'll leave you to decide who is your greatest threat." As he left, the man embraced Eraqus once more. Then he slurped the remainder of his espresso and left the empty cup on the edge of the professor's wide desk.

* * *

As Eraqus remembered that last visit with Ansem, he chuckled. The master had always enjoyed the company of his philosopher friend. They did not visit enough. Lately, though, communications with Ansem had fallen short. He was working on something that consumed much of his time. For some reason that made Eraqus nervous.

As he stood, Eraqus's hands twitched in discomfort.

"_I have never taken intrusive medication. My ways prohibit chemical healing."_

"_Eraqus, if you don't mind me asking, did you sustain physical trauma as a child?"_

"_What? No. Why?"_

"_It would explain your early onset RA. You also have symptoms of PTSD."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_You've spoken of flashbacks. You disassociate your hands. You've experienced trouble sleeping and jumpiness during daytime hours."_

"_It is my school. Funding dwindles. At our region board meetings, my voice does not carry its former brevity. Since the Wutai War the key blade has become a laughing stock."_

"_Take the antimetabolites. They'll make you feel strong again."_

Eraqus wiped away the cold sweat forming on his brow and held his hands before him, glaring at them intently. When they were equidistant, he flexed them. Searing pain shot up his arms and made him grit his teeth. _"Blast," _thought the man, anger welling within him. His medication cost him his alertness yet did not dull his pain. While he stilled his beating heart, Eraqus noticed from his window a small form climbing the summit for the forecourt.

"Ah!" breathed the man, pulling himself from his chair. He left his office and hurried to the circular stone lining the front yard of the school's entrance. There, standing in a defeated way, was Ventus. The boy looked with dejection at the floor as Eraqus made his way in silence towards him. "Ventus," the man whispered in awe, and the boy's shoulders sank in exhaustion. "You're alone? I thought Aqua would-"

As Ventus began to sway, Eraqus's words snagged in his throat and he caught the falling boy in his arms, kneeling with Ventus and holding him close. "Well, what matters is that you are home," whispered the master. His arms moved to press Ven to his heart. But something inside him thwarted his will. "You do not belong outside of this world yet," he murmured to the child. "You need to stay here, where you can learn-"

"In your prison?" cut Ventus, and Eraqus looked down in surprise as the boy pushed away from him. "What?" asked the master in bewilderment.

"That's your excuse… for keeping me imprisoned here, isn't it?" hissed Ventus. The boy would not look at his master as he spoke. As Eraqus's last conversation with Ansem floated to his mind, his chest tightened with worry. "What did you hear?" asked the man sternly, looking on in shock as Ventus crouched into a defensive position.

"That I'm supposed to be some sort of weapon! Some kind of X-blade!"

Though Eraqus felt the floor dissolve beneath him, he kept his balance. The scars upon his face burned like the malice of acid. "I knew it. Xehanort." He whispered. "He could never let it go." Suddenly, the memory of his scars returned all too clearly.

"_Master Feiyan tells me you have been speaking with Godo Kisaragi, convincing him to surrender Wutai to Shinra. The oldest Master Academies in the world reside there. Would you destroy the brightest beacon of our traditions in order to placate the president of a power company miles away?" _

"_Darkness did cover the world once, in legend. They say ruin brings about creation. So what then would another Key Blade War bring? Darkness is a beginning, you see. Not an end."_

"_Poetic excuses! If words won't dissuade you, only one thing will!" _

The sting of the scars Xehanort had given Eraqus grew unbearable, and in horror he pressed his fingers to them and drew black blood.

"_That power. Has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?" _

"I failed," mumbled Eraqus bitterly. The fragile skin of his scars broke and oozed dark fluid, causing a migraine that clouded the man's vision. Despite this, he stood tall and gritted his teeth. "I had the chance to stop him and I couldn't do it. But I will not fail again."

Yen Sid was never wrong. It was either this boy or the world that would suffer. Without thought Eraqus pulled his blade from his side. The aching of his hands was excruciating as he gripped it. Xehanort had never complained of aches in his hands and arms. He had been right handed. As thousands of legends returned to Eraqus, he gripped Ventus tightly by the shoulder.

"The X-blade has no place in this or any world," hissed the master, examining the university windows. No student peered through them. "Xehanort has made his purpose clear- and I am left with no choice. Forgive me. But you must exist no more!"

As Eraqus heaved his young student towards the door Ventus howled in protest, digging his feet into the floor and leaning back to stop his master's pull. Just as the older man's fingers pressed against the pressure point of Ventus's neck, the sound of a roaring engine became audible.

"Ven!" called a voice from far ahead, and in anxiety Eraqus raised his blade. When he sliced down, his offense was parried by grinding metal. There, standing in front of Ventus, was Terra.

"What?" Eraqus seethed, stepping back in wonder. Terra guarded Ventus with a steely expression, looking upon Eraqus with distain. "Master, have you gone mad?" he barked. Eraqus gritted his teeth, signaling for Terra to leave. But the young man would not. Far beyond the summit, the wail of police sirens clamored through the air, bringing the curious eyes of the students within the school above to their windows. In disbelief they looked down upon the quarrel in the forecourt.

"Terra!" Eraqus shouted angrily. "I command you- step aside!"

"No!" Terra roared in reply. "You will not heed your master?" fired Eraqus in return.

"I won't!"

Uncharacteristic rage held Eraqus's jaw taught. He should never have let Terra go. "Why do all my attempts to reach you fail?" he growled in desperation, glancing with anxiety towards the police cars appearing on the summit. He had two minutes at best before they fell upon him. "If you don't have it in you to obey, then you will have to share Ventus' fate," gasped the dark headed man. In return Terra grabbed Ventus by the shoulder and threw the boy aside, creating a clear path for he and his master. In horror the young boy watched as his friend and teacher circled each other. They did not waste time. Before long the whine of metal upon metal cut through the air. Though Eraqus was a skilled fighter, Terra was stronger. He shoved Eraqus back against the steps with one blow, causing the older man to hit his back.

"Enough, Terra," cried Ventus when he could bear it no longer. "He's right!" As he slipped to Eraqus's side, Terra shoved him away with the butt of his sword. Finally, Eraqus kicked Terra in the stomach and clocked the boy hard on the head with his blade. As Terra reeled back, Ventus fainted, and his master bent over him with sword in hand. Now the cars climbing the summit had reached the mountain trail, sending frightened students clambering to the sides of the road as their wheels whizzed past.

In the forecourt Terra wiped blood from his lips and glanced towards the sleeping Ventus in anger. His master sat over his small frame in deliberation. As his blade reappeared, Terra gripped his own tightly in his palms. "You may be my master," he hissed, watching as Eraqus glanced towards the cars appearing far behind his back. "But I will not let you hurt my friend!"

With newfound terror Terra rushed at his master with lightning speed, hitting back his blade with the force of ten men. As Terra's broadsword crashed down against the castle's front steps Eraqus lunged to the side and looked upon his pupil in horror. "Has the darkness taken you, Terra?" he screamed, but the boy ignored him. Grabbing Ventus in his arms and heaping him atop his motorcycle, Terra set its controls to autopilot and strapped Ventus tightly in its seat. Then he revved the engine and watched as the machine sped off. As the changing wind woke him Ventus clawed at his belt in vain, sobbing for Terra as he was carried out of sight.

Enraged and confounded, Eraqus charged at Terra as the boy glanced upon Ventus. But Terra was swift. He countered every attack, and then, dealt his master a blow to the ribs that sent him gasping for breath. As his vision swam and Eraqus collapsed, Terra gaped.

"What have I done?" he choked, approaching Eraqus with a stumbling gate. "Master… I just wanted to keep Ven safe."

"No," wheezed Eraqus. "You were right." The police cars had parked on the edge of the forecourt. Twenty men fired from their driver and passenger sides with guns in hand, screaming for Eraqus and Terra to separate and hold up their arms. Unable to stand, Eraqus bent his head in defeat and looked through his eyebrows at his student. "I failed you, Terra," he mumbled brokenly, and his pupil looked upon him in anguish. "Perhaps I've no one to blame but myself for the darkness inside you. And now, I've done worse-" he cut off, staring upon his battered sword in horror. "Raised my blade at you and Ventus. My own heart is darkness!"

In exhaustion the old man raised his hand towards Terra, to stroke the boy's face. As his lips formed words of apology, the sound of a firecracker whizzed through the air and sent the man's head jolting back, until the master crumbled lifelessly upon the shattered front steps of the academy with slack jaw and wide open eyes. As Terra looked upon him, he noticed a boring hole in the man's forehead, black and endlessly deep. Behind it was a spatter of red. Oozing crimson bubbled around, the diameter of its escape lengthening as Terra stared upon it.

"Master Eraqus!" cried the boy, resisting the urge to whimper. As he cradled his master in his arms, he fell to sobs that convulsed his body and made his head hang limp over his chest. Footsteps approached, and as he glanced around he noticed two shiny black boots at his feet.

"What a sight," murmured a gravelly voice, while Terra continued watching as the color fell from Eraqus's cheeks. When paramedics attempted to separate the boy from the dying, he fought against their clutches through heavy tears until two strong arms ripped him away. Behind him a stretcher and black bag was brought forth from the coming ambulance.

"Why do you trouble yourself with remorse, Master Terra?" murmured Xehanort, gripping Terra's shoulders hard. "The man was bent on doing harm to your friend, his own pupil!"

"Master Xehanort! Why?" he hiccupped. The older man looked at him with a smile, and then turned around. "Still so blind," he murmured. "Then I will make you see. Come to the place where all key blade wielders leave their mark on fate- the Key Blade graveyard! There you will watch your dear Ventus and Aqua meet their ends, and the last light within you will die!"

In his shock Terra could not comprehend what Master Xehanort had said. All he saw was the yellow tape the police officers sectioned the forecourt with, the blinking lights of their cars, and the arching form of Xehanort as he addressed the frightened horde of students that had appeared on the front steps. His voice called for them to return to their rooms. Then it diminished as policemen stepped forward to congratulate him. With a humble shrug Xehanort took the gun stored in his pocket and handed it to one of them. Then, he turned and walked with the sheriff towards his car.

As the old man disappeared, Terra glanced down at the lucky charm he had been given by Aqua, holding it tightly in his hand. "Ven, Aqua…" he whispered to himself. "I won't let him hurt you."

Without his motorcycle he would have to reach the Key Blade Graveyard on foot, as no tracks passed through that place. As he trudged down the cliff side at his schools back towards the badlands, the world behind him faded to grey.

* * *

The sun was at its highest when Aqua made her way out from Never Land. Instead of heading straight through she had decided to traverse its cusp, watching the waves of its bordering sea crash and ebb against the cliffs cutting down its left side. If she drove close enough, she could sea crabs clawing against the cliff's barnacles for safety. It was not far before the borders of Never Land passed and a long but narrow bridge rose around her, cutting across a bay until it descended upon the edges of a distant archipelago. With a groan Aqua realized that her scenic route would cost her the rest of the day. Despite her clear vision, she could not tell if there was a bridge crossing the other side of the island to the mainland of Radiant Garden. But there were the tracks of a train. Perhaps she could ride upon them.

As the bridge disappeared behind her and palm trees rose above her head, Aqua was gripped by a strange nostalgia. A sign reading "Welcome to Destiny Islands" sprung from the ground ahead, and as she passed Aqua noticed from the corner of her eye a family traveling down its beach grass towards a pier. In curiosity she followed them, letting her vehicle stutter across the green to escape the road. After she had hidden the motorcycle amongst a series of rocks bleached white by the sun, she crept for the dock and hunted amongst its skips and dories. Most of the tiny vessels had crooked names of children etched on their sides. From what Aqua remembered of Destiny Islands' history, giving children a boat for their tenth birthday was tradition.

Ahead a bandy-legged man sold snow cones to passerby, with pictures of their flavors taped across their paper cones. There was chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and a strange, yellow star shaped fruit with a stem and two sets of leaves extending from its bottom legs. As Aqua stared at it, her hand found the way finder charm in her pocket. Then she walked towards the vendor, asking where she could find that fruit. With a chuckle he pointed to an island hardly visible on the sea's blistering horizon. With bitten lip Aqua nodded and returned to the dock, locating a small, unused dory and untying it from its dock cleat. Then, she pushed away from the pier with her foot and rowed.

It took her thirty minutes to reach the island, and by that time the sun was setting. It would be dark before she reached The Land of Departure's green fields, dusk before she met with Eraqus once more.

"_Not bad at all. Congratulations, I'll keep you around. Never hurts to have a backup."_

"_I think that kid's outgrown such a childish toy, if you ask my opinion. Just like I've outgrown my need for you."_

The wooden sword Terra had gifted Ventus when he first joined the master's academy was stored in the back of Aqua's motorcycle, broken to pieces by a psychotic masked boy she had met multiple times along the road. Why he had been following her and her friends, she could not tell. Why she had found Ventus's most prized possession in Never Land, she did not know.

Soon Aqua's dory bumped against the island's small pier, jolting Aqua from her reverie as she moved to escape it. Skipping the ladder, she hoisted herself onto the dock through the strength of her arms. Then she tied the dory to a dock cleat and trudged towards a large platform in the distance, accessed by a wooden bridge rising from hut cut into the hillside. As she trudged up the cabin's stairs Aqua gasped. There, across the bridge was a curved tree with five star shaped fruits clinging to its single branch. With a grin Aqua stared from their little yellow bodies to the way finder charm from her pocket. Then a frown crossed her lips.

"Terra, Ven," she murmured, gulping back the lump rising in her throat. "I hope we're ready for the storm that's coming. One key blade is enough for any friendship."

She had killed him. Aqua had murdered the masked boy right outside of Never Land's Indian reservation. She did not even know who he was, but she had met him before, and he had threatened to kill her and Ventus. Ventus told her that he had seen him in his room, that he had engaged him in a fight. Aqua had to do it, to protect Ventus, to protect Terra. But after the butt of her blade had knocked him unconscious, after she had slashed him in the throat and he lay lifelessly in the dirt, she had been too weak to go to his side. She had run.

"_Ven, Terra," _she had whispered, too exhausted to stand. _"You can rest easy." _

"Hey, wait up!" called a small voice behind her. "Too slow, Sora! See you at the finish line!" When Aqua glanced around the side of the paopu tree, she spied two children whizzing beneath the bridge. Once they had reached the other side, the elder, silver headed boy shot his fist into the air and puffed out his chest, grinning as his scruffy headed companion collapsed at his side. "One more time," puffed the younger one, clenching his fists in determination. "You just got lucky!" For a moment the silver headed boy grinned. Then, his gaze drew to the bridge, where Aqua was walking towards them. As both of the boys' eyes fell upon Aqua's form, she chuckled and jumped down to meet them. Though startled, the brown-headed boy blushed at her through long, black eyelashes. The silver haired child stared unabashed.

"_This boy looks so sincere, just like Terra," _thought Aqua as she examined the silver headed child. _"And this one," _whispered the voice of her mind, making her chuckle as she looked again upon the sheepish younger child, _"He's the spitting image of Ven." _

"Hey," tried Aqua. "You two mind telling me your names?"

"I'm Sora!" announced the younger boy. When the older boy continued staring, Aqua asked for his. "Riku," murmured the child after contemplation. None of Aqua's actions surprised him. He glanced upon her as if she were familiar. _"Someone has already passed this boy the power," _thought Aqua to herself. _"Was it Terra?" _As far as she knew, Eraqus had not taught Ventus the key blade inheritance ceremony yet. No other masters in the region could have performed it. Yet this boy recognized her kind.

"Sora?" whispered Aqua. "Do you like Riku?"

"Of course I like him!" gasped Sora in excitement, looking at Riku with starry eyes. "He's my best friend!" In return Riku lowered his head and smiled warmly, causing Aqua's heart to calm. "Good," she murmured. "So then, if something happens and Riku is about to get lost- or say he starts wandering down a dark path alone- you make sure to stay with him and keep him safe. That's your job, Sora." In reply Sora glanced towards Riku shyly. In return Riku smiled. "And I'm counting on you to do it, okay?" added Aqua with a playful wink. Then she reached out her hands and ruffled the two children's hair, making them giggle. When she backed away they waved. Then they trudged to their dories, unhooked them from the pier, and rowed home side by side. A chill wind blew past Aqua as she watched, until she turned and hurried for her own vessel, rowing a different direction towards the pier. Once she reached it, she replaced the dory and flew up the beach and onto the cliffs, locating her motorcycle before the light left the horizon completely. After revving its engine she sputtered up the grass and onto the road, flying onto the train tracks leading over the bay, from Destiny Islands to Radiant Garden.

For two hours she rode, until the forests of Radiant Garden gave way to the plains of the Land of Dragons. From there trees returned, and Aqua found herself traveling through strange territory. She did not know which city border she drove within anymore, but she must have been close to Twilight Town. Far off she could hear the toll of the clock tower. Ten. Gulping, Aqua decided to drive faster. She hoped she had enough fuel to get her through the thick of these woods. As she rode she clicked her headlights to full blast, watching as the road ahead took on clearer form. It would take three more hours to reach The Land of Departure.

As exhaustion made Aqua rub her eyes, she thought she saw something large curled on the side of the road. Perhaps it was a rodent- an opossum playing dead. Whatever it was, half of its body lay on the roadside, while the other half leaned over the incline of a bordering ditch. As Aqua came upon the creature, she noticed that it was bloody. Then, a face took form in its features.

"Oh my god!" shrieked Aqua, gritting her teeth and grinding to a halt right before the body. Deftly she parked her machine and slipped the keys into her pocket, charging to the side of the lifeless figure and turning it face up. It was King Mickey of Disney Castle.

"King!" snapped Aqua, slapping the small man on the side of the face. There were wounds in his chest and side. "Mickey, wake up!" Aqua hissed. In the thick of the woods surrounding, there was a snapping sound. Still as a cadaver Aqua listened. Then, she slipped the king over her back and tiptoed to her motorcycle, clicking the keys in its ignition and sliding over its back. When she had secured the king behind her, she bit her lip. Then she turned the key to the left, and her motorcycle roared to life, its headlight blinding whatever lay in her path. With a howl Aqua slammed her foot on the accelerator and flew through the woods, until the familiar evergreens of Twilight Town rose around her. Far in the distance, the blue peak of a tower rose, and with the last of her fuel Aqua whizzed towards it and parked at its side. Immediately, echoes thundered through its cavernous spire, and when the door opened, the looming form of Yen Sid stumbled through the darkness to the young key blade master's side.

"Come, let me lend you my strength," murmured the old man. Though Aqua wept she would not let Yen Sid see her tears. Tired beyond comprehension, she assisted as best she could in moving the king through the tower to Yen Sid's office. Within an hour his secretaries of public safety and health were crouched at his side, calling his name in vain. Though his wounds had been closed he still lay unconscious. While they waited Yen Sid beckoned for Aqua to sit at his side. Then he looked her in the eye.

"Aqua," murmured the man. In her exhaustion Aqua was still able to bow. But before she could speak the man beckoned for her to sit. Gratefully, she did. "The stars bring me grave news," sighed the old master. "Master Eraqus' star has blinked out." When Aqua did not understand, Yen Sid stated plainly, "I am afraid that means he has been struck down."

"Struck... down?" breathed Aqua. When she looked up, Yen Sid answered the question she did not dare ask with his somber gaze. "The Master? But- who is responsible?" she croaked. For a moment Yen Sid looked at her closely. Then, he glanced towards the window, into the starry night sky, with sadness. "Master Xehanort," he murmured. "And Terra."

"No!" gasped Aqua sharply, banging her fists on the old master's desk in denial. "That's absurd! Terra would never..." she faltered, unable to continue. As she slumped in her chair, Yen Sid reached for her hand. "I hope with all my heart that you are right about your friend," he whispered in encouragement. "There are some things even the stars cannot tell me."

"Where is he?" Aqua asked desperately. "Where can I find Terra?"

"Terra's heart is leading him to the ancient Key Blade Graveyard, where wielders of those weapons once waged war," murmured Yen Sid in return. When Aqua chuckled in reply, he furrowed his brows, watching her.

"Not in a million years did I expect any of this," she sniffed, glancing again at King Mickey. "I thought that key blade masters were just a cross between policemen and priests. I didn't think there would be so much... death."

"Policemen and priests also preside over the dead, Aqua," murmured Yen Sid. But Aqua shook her head. "I've killed someone," she hissed. "Vanitas. A masked boy who was following Ventus. He... he tried to kill me."

In return Yen Sid pressed his fingers into the cleft of his palms, deep in thought.

"I thought that once school was over, I'd go to college in Palumpolum," Aqua whimpered. "Then I'd come back and become the secretary of state, or something stupid like that."

"It's still possible, Aqua," murmured Yen Sid. "Still very possible. If the way of the key blade is forgotten you may have nothing better to do."

Startled but silent, Aqua nodded to Yen Sid and rubbed her eyes dry. "Alright," she tried to say with strength. "I have to go after him and see if it's true."

"Be on your guard." Yen Sid warned. Aqua hesitated for a moment. Then, she tightened her grasp around her way finder charm. As he headed for the door, she turned once more to Yen Sid, this time with clear irises the shape of strong sapphire. "Perhaps key blade masters are way finder charms," she murmured. Then she grinned, causing Yen Sid to chuckle and nod. "I doubt that we are anything more, Master Aqua."

With a beam Aqua bowed before Yen Sid and exited his office, trudging down the tower staircase and out the back door to her motorcycle. Though dusk was deep there was the softest glow of blue on the horizon. As Aqua stroked the handlebars of her vehicle in melancholy, it came to her that this would be one of her last journeys on its back. "Ven…Terra… please be safe." She pleaded quietly. "I'll find a way to get you out of this."

Then, she hopped on, revved the engine, and drove for the Bad Lands.

* * *

When Aqua reached her destination the sun had just begun to rise above the clouds. The landscape surrounding held no life, and as dust stormed around her she grabbed for her goggles and pressed the cloth of her sleeve to her mouth to keep from inhaling particles of sand. Huge craters were dug into the Bad Lands' cliffs and valleys, and red clay stretched for miles. As Aqua glanced from the cliff edge she rode upon to the largest valley, she gasped. Thousands of blades were stuck side by side in the ground. All that separated them was an intersection of clear sand. These swords represented the number of lives lost in the Key Blade War. They were ancient weapons, untouched for centuries. When she had parked her motorcycle a reasonable distance away, she strode for the intersection, noticing a figure in the distance. It was walking towards her, and as it neared she realized who it was. When the two former students stopped in front of one other, Terra averted his eyes.

"I was told," murmured Aqua through the wailing wind, "that the Master was struck down."

"Yes." Responded Terra. "That's right." Then he gritted his teeth. "I was stupid and helped Xehanort do it." As Aqua listened she fell dumbstruck.

"Eraqus would have killed Ven," added the young man, his eyes trained on the dirt before his feet. "He was crazy, Aqua. But Xehanort set the whole thing up. All so he could awaken the darkness in me." He finished. As Aqua caught sight of a blackened needle mark in Terra's arm, her eyes widened in horror. Though caught, Terra did not glance away. The veins surrounding the wound were black as night. With a pained glance Terra looked into his friend's eyes. "You were right, Aqua," added the young man. "I did need to be watched."

Aqua looked down in sadness, trying not to cry. "What else is darkness but hatred and rage?" she murmured. Silently she wondered how everything had gone wrong. Hours ago she was laughing with two five-year-old boys, as if her world was devoid of violence or hurt.

Though he wanted to respond, Terra's glance was attracted to the distance, where a small form was whizzing towards them on a motorcycle much too large for its small frame. Despite his melancholy, the young man shook his head with laughter. "He figured how to ride that thing all on his own," whispered Terra with pride. When Ventus screamed to a halt at their side, he slipped off of the teetering machine and let it crash to the ground behind him without so much as a glance. Immediately he stared up at his friends.

"Xehanort wants me and Vanitas to fight and make some kind of 'X- blade'", he muttered. "But the master said we can't let that happen." Till now, Aqua had not realized how old Ventus' eyes were. For his brightness, the boy was inexplicably broken. "I'm asking you as a friend," whispered the nine-year-old boy. "Put an end to me."

"Fuck," muttered Terra under his breath, his hands quivering with rage. As Aqua watched him she bent her own head low. Then Ventus gasped. Approaching their party of three was a group of suited men led by a bald man with yellow eyes and a muscular figure in a black visor. As Aqua turned to look upon him, she felt the ground go from beneath her, and Terra caught her in alarm. In response the figure in black snickered. When Xehanort was ten feet from the trio, his men stopped.

"Behold," called his gravelly voice, indicating the blades around him. "On this barren soil key blades of light and darkness were locked in combat. Countless key blade wielders spilled their lifeblood into this clay. All of us are surrounded by death." Then he clapped for his suited men. "Perhaps I can spill yours as fast as I did Eraqus's."

Enraged, Terra blinked back tears and rushed at the old man, barred quickly by the suited men. In his anger he thrust them aside and continued running, crying out in anxiety as a motorcycle materialized at Xehanort's side. Flying for his own as the old man disappeared up an adjoining mountain, Terra whizzed past his friends and followed Xehanort. Ventus was not far behind. Without much difficulty he hopped atop Aqua's vehicle and followed his friend, leaving Aqua screaming after him in the dust.

With a gasp Aqua glanced behind her and gritted her teeth as the masked boy clapped his hands. Half of the black suited men were at his back. The other half was charging up the mountain after Xehanort, Terra, and Ventus. As he watched the pursuit, the masked boy doubled over with laughter.

"Gee wiz," he sighed when he had had enough. "This must have been the _weirdest _week for you."

"I thought I had slit your throat," snarled Aqua in return. Now she was angry. But the masked boy laughed again, louder this time. Then he pointed to his neck.

"You only scratched the surface. I went unconscious because my suit was stopping my artery from draining. You were duped."

"Who are you anyway?" blustered the girl in return.

"I'm Ventus' better half," responded the masked boy, pointing to Aqua's nose. "And you're under arrest for killing me." With that, the suited men behind him rushed after Aqua, causing her to cry out in disbelief. As she fought to knock them out, the masked boy taunted her from behind, whispering in her ear to drive her to distraction. When he got close enough to blow in her eyes, she screamed in vexation and sliced her blade towards him, instead slicing the eye of one of the suited men. While she looked on in shock as the man gripped his head and howled, Vanitas clapped his hands in manic joy.

"Ooh, first kill!" he screeched as the man bled out. Desperate to look away, Aqua attracted her attention to the rest of her attackers, going after them to knock them out. Before she could stop herself she had sliced another's chest.

"Two!" cackled Vanitas behind her, collapsing with laughter. When Aqua tried swinging her blade at him, he dodged easily and charged for the mountain Terra and Xehanort fought upon. "While you're working on these fellas, I'll help mine," he sang. Then he was gone, and Aqua was trapped in the middle of ten men trying to shackle her to the ground. None possessed guns. Instead they fought hand to hand or with small daggers. Aqua had taken out six when she glanced back up the mountain. Far upward, Xehanort had Ventus in a chokehold. As Vanitas jumped up and down with glee, the old man trudged towards a cliff upon the mountain's edge.

"No!" gasped Aqua in horror, screeching as Ventus's tiny frame was flung over the side. With all her might she charged for the cliff and held out her arms in vain. In the air above, Ventus was clawing at the rock face he slid against, crying out as his fingernails ripped from their sockets against the hard stone. For one second he was able to grip an overhanging rock, and as he swung from its side, Ventus bashed his nose. Still, he held on. Blood was pouring from his fingers, making them slip. He was seventy feet up. But Aqua was almost directly beneath his feet. Suddenly the boy was falling again, and as he neared the ground Aqua sprung into the air and tumbled with him like a wheel until his ebbing velocity stopped her spinning.

"Wow," muttered Ventus, too dazed to stand. Beside him Aqua chuckled through the pain curling down her back. "I guess some of those crazy moves Eraqus taught us work after all." Ven gurgled laughter. But he was falling unconscious. As Aqua padded his head, she felt a bump. _"Shit," _she thought to herself. Ventus' head must have hit the ground as she tumbled. Above them, a massive dust storm eclipsed the sun, causing Terra and Xehanort to disappear in a haze of sand. As Aqua patted Ven's cheek in vain, gravel crunched behind her, and she looked up in hope. Standing ahead of her in a Radiant Garden police uniform was a man with short black hair and an eye patch. _"Ansem," _she thought, grinning as she remembered Eraqus's old friend was mayor of Radiant Garden. When she opened her mouth to call for his help, the officer held up his palm.

"How 'bout you leave the popsicle with me so you can go have your little fight with Terra," he cooed, making Aqua furrow her brows in confusion. The remaining suited men stood at his back. "You can't be too happy about him deep-sixing your master," added the officer with a cheeky grin.

"Who are you?" Aqua demanded, making the dark headed man chuckle.

"You two think you've got some grand role to play. As _if._ You're only here so that when I finish you off, Terra will succumb to the darkness." Then he held up his hands. "So? Who wants to go first?"

"Shut up!" called Ventus suddenly, his voice slurring. His brows knit together though he squinted. When Aqua waved her palm before his eye, she realized that he could not see. Ahead, the police officer held up his hands in mock fear. "Oh, so this kiddo thinks he's a full fledged key blade wielder? He's got the angry look down."

"Go ahead if you want to waste your time," snarled Aqua, setting Ventus carefully to the side. "Keep trying to drive us apart. It will never work." Pressing his hand to her heart, she let the boy go and lunged at the officer. When two of his suited men came at her she cut them down immediately, ignoring the others as they fled. Now it was only she and the officer. For a moment the pair circled, the officer surprised at her strength. Then she dived towards him and swung for his neck, making him chuckle as he dodged. Every once in a while he glanced towards the cliff that Terra, Vanitas, and Xehanort fought upon.

"I keep forgetting!" he spluttered as Aqua sent her blade after him again. "Don't mess with key blade wielders! But you know what?" he added. "That just means I made the right choice!"

Once more Aqua charged after him. But this time, the officer beamed and left, turning and whizzing into a small crevice carved into the cliff side at his right. In confusion Aqua glanced after him. Behind her Ventus screamed her name, making Aqua's glance shoot upwards. The last thing she saw was the butt of a black blade as it ran right between her eyes.

* * *

Aqua's eyelids fluttered open and she jumped up, suddenly frightened. When she glanced to her side, she was met with the warm chocolate gaze of King Mickey, mayor of Disney Town.

"Gosh, I'm glad you're okay!" he chuckled. Though she grinned, the tip of Aqua's nose seared with pain. When she prodded the slippery dent in its bridge, she knew that the masked boy had broken her nose. Then she remembered what had happened. "Ven!" she called in a strangled voice, glancing around her. At first she could not find him. But then, he was there. As she stumbled to her feet Aqua grinned and called his name again, laughing with joy when he responded by tilting his head upward. His back was facing her, and so were his bloodied palms. Close by laid the lifeless form of Vanitas, the masked boy.

"Ven," she breathed, glancing at the boy's bloodied hands in disbelief. "Did you..."

Vanitas' yellow eyes stared forward without seeing, and the massive black gash sliced across his chest bored deep within his skin. Black blood was pooling around him. As Aqua examined him, she noticed vials upon vials of blue liquid slipped into the pockets of his pants. The fluid within the glass rippled and burned with its own life. As Aqua looked upon it she blinked in surprised.

"_The unversed were his," _her mind warned. _"He did this to lure you here." _

"Ven," she called, stumbling towards the boy. King Mickey hustled forth as well, and the silence became unbearable. Though he wanted to scream out, the king bit his tongue as Aqua reached out to touch Ventus's shoulder. At her grip, the boy glanced up. But when they met eyes, Aqua's heart froze. Instead of gentle blues, yellow eyes shone from Ven's skull, twisted and maniacal. Before Aqua could react, his fingers curled and clawed for her eyes. As she was torn backwards by strong hands, Aqua remained fixated on those pulsating irises. As she fell to the floor, Mickey jumped to his feet in front of her. "That's not Ven!" he cried, and Aqua gulped.

"Correct," hissed the strange Ven with glee. "I am not Ventus. His heart has become a part of mine now." Then he pointed into the sky. "This X-blade will open a door. And just like the legend says- the key blade war will begin!"

"Am I dreaming?" Aqua gasped. Never in her life had she truly believed the story of the X- blade. By the look on Mickey's face, she knew he felt the same. Perhaps she was unconscious. All she could do to wake herself up was bang her fists against the dirt of the graveyard like a child and shout for Vanitas to shut up. "I'm sick of your nonsense!" she cried. "Give Ven his heart back!"

As he paused to grip his weapon, Vanitas puffed his chest triumphantly. Aqua and king Mickey went for him at the same time. He used both ends of his blade to knock the wind out of them.

"Wasting your energy!" sang the boy with a sigh of contentment. For a moment he picked at his bloodied nail beds. "This was meant to happen from the start. I'm just the stronger side of Ven's personality. Xehanort extracted me and put me into that thing when I was five," added the boy, wrinkling his nose as he looked upon his old body, the one with gushing blood black as his hair. "Now I'm perfect, and Xehanort will love me!" added the child with a grin. In that moment, Aqua realized that Vanitas was the same age as Ventus.

"What is Xehanort planning for Terra?" asked Aqua. Vanitas shrugged, scratching his fingers into Ventus' hair as he drew more blood from his snarled nail beds. "If I can possess Ventus, Xehanort thinks he can do the same with Terra."

"_He is fucking insane," _thought Aqua in shock. With all her strength she gripped her blade in her hand. Then she raised it to Ventus' head. Inside, Vanitas grinned and raised his own blade to meet her. Then they fought. Ven, Terra, Eraqus, Mickey, Yen Sid, Xemnas. Aqua loved them all. They meant something to her. She wanted a world where they could all sit on the tallest peak and eat sea salt ice cream. She wanted to eat cherries with Xemnas again, like she had as a child. For the first time, she regretted keeping her other friend a secret. With all her heart, soul, and body, Aqua thrust her key blade forth, and Vanitas' blade flew from his grasp. As he howled in anguish, Aqua caught him in her arms and screamed Ventus's name.

"Come on, Ventus!" she snarled as she forced him to the ground, stroking his hair. "You can do it! I have faith in you! We all do!" With that, she took her way finder charm from her pocket and made him hold it in his hand. As it bored into his skin, the boy held it tighter. Then he convulsed as he battled within himself. The whole time Aqua held him to her heart, whispering over and over that he could do it. After what seemed like a lifetime, a hiss escaped Ventus's throat and he went still, falling unconscious as he regained normal breath. A small distance away, the limp body of Vanitas sputtered and coughed.

"What?" it croaked, jerking back and forth in pain. "NO, NO, NO!" it screeched, clutching at the air as if something were flying out of his grasp. When he glanced down at himself, he saw that the cut on his chest had clotted. As he tugged at the wound he gasped. "The suit stopped the bleeding," breathed Vanitas. Then, with a moan he stood and scuffled away in anguish. As he disappeared into the same crevice the strange police officer had traveled through, Aqua watched. Then, she collapsed again.

* * *

When Aqua woke up, she was on the cold green tile of Yen Sid's office floor. She tried lifting herself to her feet, but the rush of blood to her throbbing head proved too painful. Instead of climbing into a chair, she stayed lying against the floor, laughing. She must have sunk from exhaustion after rescuing king mickey on the edge of Twilight Town. The Key Blade Graveyard, and Vanitas coming back to life had all been a dream. Then, her leg brushed against blond hair.

"Ven!" she gasped, crawling towards him and kissing his hair. It was caked with dry blood.

As the memories of the graveyard filtered back through her mind, Aqua looked down at Ventus' hands in horror. They had been washed and cleaned. Fresh bandages were heaped over his fingers. When she called his name again, he did not stir. When she shook him, he did not stir. "Ven!" she shouted, slapping him on the shoulder in vain. Then, Yen Sid's arms were grasping her shoulders as she struggled to break free. Ahead of her, King Mickey heaped Ventus in his arms and carried him from the room, trying not to listen as Aqua cried in anguish. When the door closed, she hissed at Yen Sid when he tried holding her back. "When will he wake?" spat the girl. Yen Sid did not respond for a few minutes.

"I could not say," muttered the man finally. "It is almost as though his heart has left. He may sleep like this forever," he added, and Aqua's heart fell into the pit of her stomach. As she looked upon the green door out of Yen Sid's office in horrified awe, she reached out and stroked Ventus' lingering spirit. So Vanitas had really possessed him. The graveyard, Terra, the officer, Shinra, it had all been true.

"I thought I was dreaming," cried Aqua to herself. This, Yen Sid could not respond to.

"I will keep him safe," grumbled Aqua, gulping back the bile in her throat. "Until he wakes. Forever if I have to." When she lunged for the door, Yen Sid caught her and again held her back.

"I will tell you what your friend needs right now." Intoned the man. "It is not your protection. He needs you to believe. Ventus' heart hangs in the balance. He will be looking for a friend, one who believes in him, to show him the way home. Just as long as you love him… Ventus will be able to find you when he wakes. He can follow that love back to where he belongs."

In reply Aqua nodded. Then, she stumbled for the door. "Is Ventus being taken to the hospital?" she asked. In return Yen Sid pointed to his star shaped window. Ambulance lights wailed through the trees in the distance. When they stopped around the tower, Aqua noticed that police cars were accompanying them. As he saw them as well, Yen Sid sucked in a deep breath.

"You must leave, now Aqua," murmured the old man. "Mickey saw you kill two men."

"They were going after Ventus!" cried Aqua in reply, lunging again for the green door. Again, Yen Sid stopped her. "I need to go with him to the hospital!" she whined. But Yen Sid shoved her towards the secret staircase at the back of his room. "Go!" he cried. "I will create a distraction."

In sudden compulsion, Aqua gripped one of the canes in the back of Yen Sid's office. Then, treading on silent feet, she lifted it above her and swung it at his head, knocking the old man out with one blow. When he slumped over his desk, Aqua barreled out of the green door and down the stairs. A stretcher was being wheeled out of the tower ahead, and as she laid eyes upon it she howled in displeasure.

"I go with him!" she cried, lunging at the stretcher as King Mickey commanded her to escape. But she would not listen. As police officers filed inside the tower lobby and took her by the arms, Aqua still screamed Ventus's name. Still, they were separated. Ventus was put into an ambulance. Aqua, on the other hand, was cuffed and shoved into the back of a cop car.

* * *

Aqua remembered everything clear as day. Sora and Riku. Terra. The graveyard. And Vanitas. Ventus wheeled away on a stretcher, her shoved into the back of a cop car. Her nose still had not been tended to, and as it oozed blood the skin around her eyes turned black. She did not instigate conversation with the drivers until Twilight Town's clock tower disappeared behind them. With furrowed brows she glanced across the road ahead for signs of the police precinct.

"Hey," she muttered in confusion. Before she could say another word the cop car screeched to a halt and a burlap sack was thrown over her head. As she was dragged screeching from the vehicle her nose hit against the side of the door, making her cry out in pain. Her knees were shoved into dirt, and soon cool moss wetted the material against her cheek, pushing her shattered snout into the dirt as well. Though she could make out shadows through the holes in the burlap, her vision was clouding black. She was pulled to her feet again. When she fell limp in her captor's arms they struck her head and made her walk. Then she was shoved into the backseat of another car. There was laughter outside the vehicle as a group of men chattered. Gracious thanks were sung. Then their voices diminished until only whispers fluttered outside the right rear door. In fright Aqua shifted far left, biting her lip when the whine of leather assailed her ears. Someone was sitting beside her. The car shuddered as another climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind him. As the ignition turned on the vehicle hummed then jostled forward. As they traveled the driver sang. Through the holes in the burlap Aqua attempted to peer outside.

"Hey, Rude," called the driver. Something was thrown into the backseat. Aqua cringed as it was caught. There was a fizzle and a pop, and then glugging. As the driver sang again Aqua gritted her teeth. The next time the car hit a bump, her backseat companion's body brushed against her. With a gasp Aqua kicked him hard with her feet, eliciting a high-pitched cry as her steel-toed boot made contact with the space between the man's thighs.

"Hey!" shouted the driver. "Now that's just barbaric! Rude, did you do anything to this monster?"

"No," squeaked the other in reply. Aqua could hear the sound of padding fingers on fabric. There was a grunt of pain. The driver sighed. "We'll have the old man get you an ice pack."

"_Old man?" _wondered Aqua to herself. As they continued driving she listened to the men's conversation. Most of it was just rambling about music and beer. After an hour the driver whistled. "Beautiful view," he sighed. His companion grunted in agreement. "Better than Midgar, I tell you that."

"Describe it to me," tried Aqua in vain. "I can tell you where we are."

"Don't worry, babe," snorted the driver in reply. "I know exactly where we are." Two more hours passed, and the blackness shadowing Aqua's view brightened as sunlight streamed through the burlap. Before she could enjoy it, it disappeared again. The road the car drove upon changed from concrete to dirt, and it jolted back and forth as it ran over potholes and trunks of trees. Then it stopped and Aqua was dragged from the backseat by her ankles, hitting her backside as she fell. Her head struck the door's threshold. Crunching leaves sounded to her left and when she squinted through the burlap holes she made out another black form. Its voice sounded familiar.

"As _if_," he snorted. As she realized the voice belonged to the policeman from Radiant Garden, the one she had met in the Key Blade Graveyard, Aqua's throat tightened. When his arms fell around her she screeched and swung her leg for where she thought his neck was. Instead she caught his jaw, and as he fell back with a shriek her driver broke into laughter, shrinking as he keeled over to howl.

There was mad scuffling in reply. Something hit the back of Aqua's head and she lost consciousness. When she woke again she was shivering, but the burlap was gone. Instead of being in the woods, in a car, or beneath the ground, she was in a small, air-conditioned chamber with a hanging mattress and a toilet. The brick walls and cement floor were stained with whitewash. When Aqua stood, she padded her pockets. Her way finder charm was missing.

"Let me out!" she roared, lunging for the door and banging against it with her fists. For what felt like hours she pummeled its metal spine, until her knuckles were bruised and bloodied. When exhaustion took her she collapsed to the ground and cried till she fell asleep. The next time she awoke, she heard echoing footsteps.

"_I don't understand why you had to bring me along," _growled a voice. Another chuckled. _"She'd kill you if she got the chance."_

"That's right," muttered Aqua to herself. Without thinking she hid against the wall closest to the door's handle. Then, deciding against it, she moved directly before the door and hunkered down on the balls of her feet, wrapping herself in her arms. She listened as the footsteps outside stopped, and as a metal latch undid. When her door opened, she looked upon her captors with glazed eyes. As she expected, one was the eye-patched police officer from Radiant Garden. His companion was a mountain of a man, with long black dreadlocks pulled into a ponytail behind his head. One strand he let escape, and it curled down the right side of his face to the tip of his square jaw. His uniform was the same.

"This is one tired cookie," chuckled the man with the eye patch. Then he winked. "Don't worry. You'll be getting a lot of sleep where you're going."

"I can't stand," muttered Aqua. With a shrug the officer with the eye patch pointed to his companion. "Dilan, help a short fry out."

Grinning, Dilan lumbered forward and grabbed Aqua by the arm. When his face hovered inches from her own, Aqua reached out and gripped his coat, surprising him. As she used him to hoist herself up, her other fist curled against her chest. Then, with all her might Aqua clocked him under the chin, snapping his head back and causing him to stumble to the ground. As the behemoth collapsed at her feet Aqua slipped his gun from its holster and pointed it at the eye-patched man's face. He yelped and dove as he was shot at, and with a cry of pleasure Aqua whizzed past and butted his face with the handle, demanding his keys. Instead, he gave her a plastic card. Aqua turned and hurried towards the door at the end of the hall with it clutched in her hand. When she had swiped it and turned the latch, and as Dilan groaned into consciousness once more, his eye-patched companion wobbled to his feet and called Aqua from across the vestibule. When she turned to look at him, he was smiling.

"Do you know where you are?" he cried. "Dilan is one of Radiant Garden's palace guards. And he's not the biggest. They're all upstairs." As he spoke, Aqua heard the lock of the stair door clicking behind her. Inside her former jail cell, there was a roar of displeasure.

"I'll take my chances with the rest," hissed Aqua. As Dilan barreled out of her cell towards her, she ducked up the stairs and slipped his gun between the handle of the stair door and the wall. As Dilan bashed into it he howled. Aqua did not look down as she climbed past the last basement. The ground floor door laid inches away, and as her fingers curled around its handle she opened it and swung her leg forward, hitting soft flesh. There was a grunt. Then its owner tumbled to the floor and Aqua charged past, barreling into a lobby. In confusion she looked about her, stumbling upon an antique gramophone sitting near the chamber's front door. When she glanced out of the bay windows on either side, her vision was not met with crimson rooftops and deciduous canopies. Instead spanned a spacious driveway, a green lawn, and the looming trunks of evergreens. In curiosity Aqua left the lobby and stepped onto the lawn.

The first thing her feet met was gravel, which circled into an offshoot through a break in the trees. Next was sweet smelling grass. As she sucked in its scent stone crunched behind her. When she turned, she was met with two yellow eyes.

"Xehanort," she snarled. No one accompanied him. From what Aqua could see, the courtyard was empty save for their two forms. When she looked back, the old man chuckled.

"You constantly surprise me, Aqua," he sighed. When she did not respond he pointed to the forest ahead. "An hours trek and you will meet with an orphanage. From there lies a city with many holes for you to hide in. I have no doubt you will return safely to Yen Sid." Ignoring him and moving forward, Aqua glanced into the trees. Behind Xehanort narrowed his eyes.

"But will Ventus?"

Aqua stopped in her tracks. She turned. In reply Xehanort indicated the second floor of the mansion. "In his current state, I doubt the boy can escape on his own," he explained. "If only you had climbed one more set of stairs, you would have had the pleasure of seeing him awake."

"What?" gasped Aqua, stumbling. Behind Xehanort materialized Dilan, the eye-patched officer, and Terra. As Aqua met eyes with him she cried out in anguish. Had he been the one she kicked? "Let Terra go!" she snarled. In reply the eye-patched officer broke into laughter. When Aqua stared at Dilan, she saw anger in his eyes. His gun lay broken in his palm.

"I do not believe anyone is holding Terra back," responded Xehanort. Dilan pushed Terra forward, but the young man gave no response. His eyes stared forward lifelessly.

"What did you do to him!" croaked Aqua. She wanted to embrace Terra. But she was afraid. In a sudden fit of hysteria, she howled across the sky for help, stamping her feet in the ground and crying out as loudly as she could. The laughter of the police officers drowned her roars.

"I extracted a portion of my darkness and stored it within him, Aqua," Xehanort explained. "He's still groggy. But I dread to see what he will become once he awakes. As for Ventus, perhaps I'll let him sleep with Vanitas for the night. I'm sure my boy would delight in ripping him to pieces."

"I've told Yen Sid everything!" hissed Aqua in desperation. "All I have to do is walk through these woods and I'm gone!"

"And leave Ventus to die?" responded Xehanort.

"You'll die too!" cried Aqua in return. When Dilan drew his partner's gun, she wished she had kept the other. Though frightened she scoffed. "Try to hit me. I'm faster."

"I don't doubt it," replied Xehanort. Though Dilan grimaced, on Xehanort's orders he lowered his weapon. The old man indicated for Aqua to leave.

"You say you are fast," he called. "I hope you reach Yen Sid's tower before Ventus does. He will look rather different than you remember."

"You know what else I told Yen Sid?" snarled Aqua. "I told him that if I wasn't back at the tower within a night to call the police and send them to your house! They're looking for you!"

"Bluffing," quipped the eye-patched policeman in reply, cupping his hands around his mouth to project the two notes. Beside him Dilan boomed laughter. When spied Aqua's anger he howled louder. Xehanort smiled. "Come inside, Aqua," he murmured. "We're all very tired. Let's enjoy the world for a time. After all, we never know when sweet things end, until they do." With that he called for the rest of the men to follow him. Terra was first and Dilan was last, and as Aqua's vision of him clouded she rubbed her eyes of tears. Then, reluctantly she followed.

Once she swung open the front door and walked inside the entrance hall, a great hand grabbed her by her hair and shoved her against the marble floor. As she rose to her knees, Dilan's massive shadow fell over her, growling as he reached down to pick her up.

"Dilan," intoned the eye-patched officer from the second floor. In reluctance Dilan glanced up, gripping Aqua's shoulder so hard she winced. "Drop her." Throwing her forward in irritation, Dilan trudged for Xehanort's office without looking back. When she had recovered herself, Aqua followed. This room was quaint and small, filled with shelves of books and trinkets. At its center sat a desk with a leather-cushioned chair behind it. This, Xehanort sat in. Two armchairs were pulled from the back of the room to be set before the oak desk. They were turned ninety degrees from its front. The eye-patched officer sat with his calf draped over his left knee in one. He indicated the other to Aqua. Terra stood behind Xehanort while Dilan exited the room, filing down the hall and into a perpendicular chamber. Inside there was shuffling. Then, a boy in a wheelchair was pushed out and down the hall, until he sat ten paces from Xehanort's desk. When Aqua laid eyes on him she reached for him. But before she could wrap the child's blond head in her arms she was punched in the face. The strength of Dilan's arm knocked her head against the floor, and as her vision clouded she sobbed.

"Now, Aqua, I have a few questions for you-" started Xehanort, but Aqua gritted her teeth and shouted, "you said he was awake!" before the old man could finish.

"He lied," responded the eye-patched man. This time, when Aqua fired towards him, he shoved her back with his foot, sending her to the floor in a daze. "I'm not answering anything," she cried. In reply Xehanort shrugged and snapped his fingers. In return, Dilan struck Ventus in the head, sending the boy lolling forward in his seat.

"Strike him till he wakes up," snapped Xehanort.

"No!" shrieked Aqua, held back by Terra and the eye-patched man. Downstairs the wind rattled through the house, howling as the front door opened. Aqua screamed for help. Again Dilan struck Ventus. The boy's head knocked to the side, and he shuddered in his pained sleep. As the behemoth raised his hand a third time, and as Aqua howled for him to stop, the door clicked behind her. With its echo everything fell silent, every hand and voice lowered as the man standing in the office doorway stepped forward. When Aqua's eyes cast against his dark face she wailed, "Xemnas!" and the man hurried to her side. Ahead Xehanort scowled. Xemnas glanced up.

"Father?" he murmured, gazing at all of the room's inhabitants one by one. His face was not angry, but confused. "I thought you called me here to talk about my master's degree?"

"Masters?" blubbered Aqua. Xemnas's face went red as Xehanort chuckled. "He has decided to continue with his schooling, as his brother did. He is indebted to me for securing his passage into the same technical school."

"Technical school?" Aqua whispered. When she tried looking into Xemnas's eyes, they cast down. His lips pursed in thought, but when he looked back up his cheeks were brighter.

"What is going on here?" he demanded, shielding Ventus from Dilan, who looked upon him in disgust. In return Xemnas glared into the man's eyes and grinned. "I'd hardly call striking a boy in a wheelchair a fight, sir. If you'd like a fair opponent, why not try me?"

"Xemnas, stay out of this," Xehanort growled from his desk, his fingertips pressed to his temple. But Xemnas shook his head, grabbing the oak lining in his left hand while indicating Aqua with his right. "She is my friend!" he hissed. "When I see my friend wailing as she's torn away from her abused brother and you tell me to stay out of it, how can you expect me to sit aside?" Then he turned to the eye-patched man. "Whatever this is, why can't we settle it in a civilized manner?"

Xehanort stared hard at his son before narrowing his eyes and nodding. Though Xemnas chuckled, the air escaped his chest quickly, and his shoulders sank like a heavy ship in waves of relief. But Xemnas turned to Aqua next. He smiled and held out his hand. When Aqua took it, the chair opposite to the eye-patched man was hauled forward. Without speaking Aqua sat in it. As her eyes fell to the carpeted floor, Xemnas eyed his father. The old man sighed.

"There is a library," he began, picking up a pen and rolling it along his knuckles. "A special privilege granted to the most accomplished key blade masters. Yen Sid was granted the honor of its key in his day, and just recently, so was Master Eraqus. I was not." As he explained his pen dropped to the journal at his side. "I have tried many times to locate the room. My son has researched the architecture, but still we have had no luck."

"What's so great about this secret library?" muttered Aqua. Xehanort smirked. "The library holds the journals of key blade masters before us- back beyond the Key Blade War! I would like to study them."

"For what?" hissed Aqua in return, making Xehanort chuckle. "Are you going to try to possess Terra?"

As the smile wiped off Xehanort's lips, the rest of his accomplices fell still. "How did you know?" he asked. Aqua shrugged. She felt Xemnas's worried glance upon her back.

"Your boy, Vanitas, said that's what he was going to do to Ventus."

"And he did," returned Xehanort. "And so will I to your friend, Terra. He volunteered."

"You're nuts," responded Aqua in a snarl. "Don't you know the X-blade is a fairy tale?"

"You admit the teachings of your dear master mean nothing to you?" Xehanort inquired. Furious, Aqua stood and leaned over him, her shadow shadowing Xehanort's glowing golden irises. They narrowed as she looked upon them, and as the teeth within her lips grinded and hissed the golden flames twinkled with laughter.

"I could kill you," Aqua whispered. Her lips curled towards her nostrils as she spoke, and her words spitted through her teeth like searing metal sparks in boiling grease. Xehanort's eyes crinkled in amusement. With the click of his hands the eye-patched officer was at his side. Xehanort whispered in his ear. Then, the officer nodded and strode from the room, descending the stairs outside. It was quiet. Then there was a harsh clamor, the yowl of a garbled tongue and an accompanying clumsiness, the blundering and screeching of a savaged animal. Its cries rose through the house as a door on the ground floor slammed open. There was dragging and sniveling and sobbing. Before long the creature the cacophony belonged to was sliding across the upper floor hallway on his knees, whimpering indistinguishable supplications as his feet tripped over his toes. When he was shoved within the office and Aqua turned to look upon him she reeled back in disgust, away from her chair and towards the office window. Beside her Xemnas sucked in a deep breath.

No one could _not_ stare. The boy was covered in hives. His skin was red as blood, blotched with little blisters the size of shiny new quarters. His eyes were netted with crimson bolts of lightning, darting and wavering as he laid them upon his captors. His lips were chaffed and broken, but his joints and belly swelled and shone. Still his hair fell black as night. Still the yellows of his eyes glowed bright as stars. As he cowered, the cleaved skin that Ventus had sliced as they fought concealed its inky insides. Black veins surrounded the darkness. In his tears the boy gasped for breath and clawed towards Ventus with gritted teeth, curling his fingers as his nails stabbed into the flesh of the boy's golden arm. Xemnas blocked Aqua's advance as she cried out. When Vanitas's hideous other arm moved for Ventus's face, Dilan slapped him away, popping the blisters on the boy's right cheek. As the sores wept down Vanitas's chin he howled in pain, and Dilan removed his soiled glove in revulsion. Puss blotted it. The cloth was dropped to the ground. Dilan rushed from the room. When Vanitas glanced towards his master he whimpered, begging with his gaze for the man to look upon him. Instead Xehanort smiled at Aqua.

"I have one more question," the old man murmured. "I would like to know exactly what happened in the Key Blade Graveyard."

"I merged with Ventus!" gasped Vanitas before Aqua could open her mouth. "I was in his mind!" As Vanitas explained himself, Xehanort watched Aqua's reactions with a firm gaze. Her eyes looked upon the masked boy with loathing. She did not speak or object. When Vanitas began crying he shifted on his knees to his master's side and cupped his hands. In return Xehanort indicated for Aqua to speak. After deep thought she shook her head.

"What?" snapped Xehanort, cracking his knuckles by flexing his palms on either side of him. "Did he or did he not merge with Ventus?"

"He did not," responded Aqua in a whisper, her voice unable to command any volume. Her words snuffed out and dissipated as soon as they left her lips. "Instead of fighting after a nine year old boy slashed him in the chest, he ran for the crevice at the bottom of the mountain."

Xehanort examined Aqua closely. When he turned to Vanitas the boy shook his head in desperation, glancing towards Aqua with shining yellow baubles for eyes. Cocking his head to the side, Xehanort smiled. "Do you know why I did all of this?" he asked. Aqua responded no.

"I did this to prove that transferring consciousness from one person to another was possible. It is difficult for you to understand my process when you know nothing of it. Vanitas was a shell when I transplanted Ventus's darkness inside him. He built a stronger personality from scratch."

"Not one strong enough to control Ventus," replied Aqua, a sardonic grin crinkling her cheeks. "So did you get your blueprints directly from the storybook or did you make them yourself?"

With a small chuckle Xehanort held his hands to either side of him. "What am I to do, Xemnas?" he murmured. His son acted as though he was not listening. "I have two different accounts of the same event. Who am I to believe?" when he returned his glance to Aqua he smiled wider. "I do not need you to tell me the location of Eraqus's library. My son will do it. But I will continue experimentation on Terra with or without the books. Regardless of whether Vanitas managed to merge consciousness with Ventus, I will attempt to merge consciousness with Terra. I planted a seed within him and it grew. My tests will destroy him. And you can do nothing about it."

In agony Aqua curled her fingers around her hair and pulled, hoping to rip every shred from her scalp. Her self-hatred did nothing for Ventus, and nothing for Terra. When she looked upon him, he stared at the wall as if he were sleepwalking. Both of her friends lay helplessly asleep while she sat wide-awake, unable to fly them to safety. She, a master of the key blade, whatever that faded tool served now. When she looked up, Xemnas was staring at her. With hope she leaned over her chair towards him, afraid to touch him lest he break, or shiver to dust.

"Xemnas," she hissed, trying to drown out the pants and groans of the unmasked boy behind her. "Help me. I beg you." Her head bent, but her shoulders held taught. "Don't let them do this."

In return Xemnas was silent.

When Xehanort snapped his fingers the eye-patched man took Terra by the arm and lead him out from the room, grabbing hold of Ventus's wheelchair handle as he went. With some difficulty, both were hauled out. Then the office door was shut, and Xemnas, Xehanort, Vanitas, and Aqua sat alone. In trepidation the old man sighed, indicating his son with his fingertips.

"Well, Xemnas, I suppose you'd make a fuss if I killed her," he growled, making Aqua's blood run cold. As his son sputtered Xehanort glanced towards Vanitas, who tugged at his master's coat.

"I would fucking kill you!" snarled Xemnas. In return his father whistled a quick, sharp note that made the boy wince. With a scowl, he demanded Xemnas amend his language. In return his son mumbled an apology. Again, Xehanort looked at Aqua.

"Aqua," the man said, and she looked upon him through tears. "Did Vanitas merge with Ventus?"

For the first time Aqua looked within the pupils of the Masked Boy's eyes. They were dilated. In their darting forms Aqua saw her face. She saw her ears and the lick of her dyed blue hair on the side of her scalp as she shook her head. As she watched, the pupils constricted, and a wail escaped Vanitas's throat as he lunged for her. Before the boy's fingers made contact with Aqua's throat Xemnas cast him down. As he struggled the boy howled. Xehanort's shrill whistle commanded him to be still, but he would not. He howled that Aqua was a liar. But his voice diminished as Dilan and the eye-patched officer filed into his office to return him to his cell. When all was still Xehanort sat back in his seat. Resentment shrunk his eyes to slits while his palms curled from churning thoughts.

"Aqua," he murmured. "You will disappear. Ventus will return to Yen Sid while Terra remains with me. Now leave." As he indicated the door, Aqua pleaded with Xemnas one more time.

"Xemnas. I thought you loved me," she said weakly. Xemnas ignored her. With the echoes of Vanitas's cries of hatred still ringing in her ears, Aqua nodded. Like days of elementary school spent sitting in the principal's office Aqua stood and trudged from Xehanort's chamber with her eyes cast down. She did not cry out. She did not call for Terra or Ventus, did not dash to their rooms or strike Xehanort down with the pen he twisted in his knotty fingers. She descended his stairs, pushed through his front door, and left. And she did not look back.


End file.
